Destinations
by Zeragii
Summary: We never really know where we're headed in life. One minute we might think we're sure, but the next, not so much. And then, suddenly, everything changes; and our lives take a turn we never would have ever even imagined. But then the question is: do we continue on, or turn back? And do we even have that choice?
1. Morning

_Brooklyn, 1943*..._

The summer heat was already beginning to win out over the cool morning air that seemed to waft up from the pavement. The sun had barely crept above the city skyline, but even then the humidity was proving to be uncomfortable. The streets of New York were still relatively bare; only speckled with the few early morning risers who had the foresight to get their shopping done before the heat reached its full power. They roamed the sidewalks, gazing in through the various windows; hunting for items on their lists, or, perhaps, just browsing. One never knew what one might find in the glass case of a shop. Jewelry, food, antiques; they all managed to catch the eye of a passerby.

All, that is, except for one.

Within the still dark interior of his shop, a sort, portly man, dressed in a red shirt and blue overalls, sat slumped in defeat. He rested limply in a chair by the window side, gazing sadly out at the world as it awakened. True, possible customers passed by all the time, but they never gave _his_ shop a second glance. It was still early yet; the man looked up at the clock on the wall behind him. It took him a moment to distinguish which hand was which on the old relic, before he gave a sighing murmur.

"7:30."

He turned back to the window, his shoulders sinking even lower. Who was he trying to fool; no one was going to be coming. It was the same day after day. Even when the streets of New York were packed with people, no one ever gave his shop a glance. Not that he could blame them. After all, how often did a passerby come looking for a plumber? It wasn't like the tools and various sinks, tubs, bolts, and pipes in the window were really all that enticing. Most of them had sat there so long that they had begun to rust; covered in dust that had settled over the past few years. Even the windows themselves held a certain grimy tinge to them. He supposed he should clean them; put a little effort into presentation. But what was the use? He highly doubted that that would make even the slightest of difference. Besides, plumbing was a dirty job. There was nothing clean or pretty about it; so why try and make it look like it was.

Maybe it was the war that was to blame. After all, who had the cash for a leaky facet when it could be used to fight the enemy in Germany. What else could America use against such a threat; plungers? No, times were hard all over. People couldn't afford comforts for themselves; unless they were rich, in which case they only hired the _best_ plumbers.

Of which, even _he_ had to admit, he was not.

The dejected plumber rested his mustachioed face against his gloved hand, letting out another sigh. He would just do what he did every day. Wait. Someone was bound to _call_ , at least. This was the city. Someone, somewhere, had to be having trouble with their drains. Someone must need a plumber for something...Right?

The light footsteps shuffling against the gritty, tiled floor caught his attention, and he didn't even have to turn to know who it was. It had become a sort of routine. It was the same day after day. "Good-a morning, Luigi," he said dully, his thick Italian accent sounding dreadfully loud in the silence of the shop.

"Good-a morning, Mario," the newcomer replied, coming to sit beside him. His accent was even thicker, made far more so with the lowness of an early morning voice. Luigi looked a lot like his brother, Mario. They both shared some features, such as light, brown hair and and pale, blue eyes. They even sported mustaches, though they both preferred different styles. But Luigi was a good several inches taller, and quite a bit thinner than his portly brother. It was a source of confusion for many, who often assumed that Luigi was the older of the two, when, in fact, he was the younger.

Luigi settled into the old wicker chair beside Mario, a cup of coffee held in each hand. Hesitantly, he offered one to his brother. Mario took it without a word, still gazing out at the street. Luigi felt his spirit sink a little. Mario's enthusiasm had been falling for the past several weeks, but this was a record-breaking low. The shorter man was usually a source of unextinguishable energy; always coming up with new ideas and plans to gain more attention and acknowledgement from the people they worked for. Or wished they worked for. Jobs came then and again; enough to support them, but nothing like the dream Mario had always had for their business. When they had first left Brooklyn and opened their shop, nothing had been able to stop them. Mario had been convinced that they would be the greatest plumbing team the world had ever seen.

But that was nearly two years ago. Or was it three?

And sometimes it felt like no one even knew they were alive. They were nobodies; unknown faces of two ordinary men, immigrated from Italy in their youth, left to make a life in a country plagued by war. It had been hard to find an occupation that they thought they could handle. Neither one of them had ever had any spectacular schooling, though Mario had gained more in that department than his brother, which came in handy from time to time. They were a struggling business; barely earning enough to pay their bills. Which reminded Luigi of something important.

"Did-a any mail come in-a yet?"

Their electrical was surely due, and, if it was, that would be hard on them. Very hard. It had been a solid week since their last job, and money was becoming very scarce.

Mario nodded, crooking a thumb to a pile of yellowed envelopes on the desk at the back of their shop.

Setting down his chipped coffee mug, Luigi got up and walked over to the scratched and faded surface. Mario's desk was littered with junk; everything from paper and pencils to a stack of dirty dishes that had managed to collect over the past few days. Luigi gave the mess a disgusted look before shrugging his shoulders and carefully extricating the stack of mail from the wreck. Some were older; bills that were still due. More money they owned and didn't have. Some were newer, evident by the lack of dust. One envelope had been opened, and Luigi guessed Mario had already read it. Removing it from the pile and setting down the rest of the stack back on the desk, he carefully removed the letter from the envelope.

Yup. It was the electrical bill. And it made him feel weak in the knees. The amount printed on the paper was far more than he had been expecting. His eyes scanned over the formal-looking, typed words; knowing that there would be no way around paying this time. Mario had managed to get them out of trouble with the electrical company several times now. The first time relying on the their sympathy; the second, their guilt; the forth they had gotten lucky and had actually gotten a few jobs to supply at least part of the fee, and that had satisfied them for a while. But now, the odds were against them. There was no way around it this time; and they didn't have a penny to their name.

"That came-a this morning."

Luigi flinched and turned to give his brother a concerned look. Mario had risen from his seat at some point; coming to stand beside him. Luigi looked down at the note in his hands, then back up to Mario's face. "A job could all-a-ways-a come in," he offered hopefully, though he knew that was extremely unlikely. No one had called them in days. But his small glimmer of optimism, no matter how fragile, seemed to glint off of Mario's personality; where it quickly began to grow.

"That's-a right..." Mario held a hand to his chin, a smile beginning to creep into his face; just as the sun's full light broke over the horizon. Mario's usual, cheery attitude returned to him so fast it was unnerving. There was one thing about the older brother one could be absolutely sure of; that nothing could ever keep him down for long. He had a habit of pulling himself out of depression; though, sometimes, he needed a little nudge first. "Something's-a sure to come-a up," he declared, snatching the note from Luigi's grip. He gave the letter a tap with the back of his hand. "All-a we have to do is-a stall until then!"

That hadn't been quite what Luigi had meant. But, it was better than the low, saddened state Mario had been in before. He couldn't stand that. Luigi had enough trouble keeping himself from slipping into despair as it was; he needed Mario to keep as positive as possible. Sometimes it was the only thing keeping the business afloat. Pure, untarnished enthusiasm.

Grabbing Luigi's wrist abruptly, Mario suddenly pulled his puzzled younger brother toward the shaded doorway that led out to the sunny, main street. "Since our-a troubles are-a far less dark than-a we first thought," he grinned, "We should-a enjoy this-a lovely day!"

Luigi fought slightly against Mario's tight, enthusiastic hold, as well as the urge to roll his eyes. Mario was always able to swing from one extreme to another; one moment worried and depressed over their situation, and next far too laid back and easy going. It was a wonder that their shop had lasted these last few years. Mario's business sense was terrible, and, sadly, so was Luigi's. But, for the sake of his brother's boisterous nature and hopeful spirit, Luigi willingly let himself be led outside.

Mario pulled Luigi to the sidewalk. The morning sun felt warm on their backs as they turned to look at the outer front of the shop. It was a dismal sight. The paint, on what little wood that showed, was old, chipped, and stained with patches of drown; dirty hand prints and scuffs that had accumulated over the years. Even the door, once painted a pure white, had not been spared the soil of time. The small, glass window which belonged to their shop was grayed with dust, and the white lettering that read 'Mario Bros. Plumbing Co.' had faded to a dull, sickly yellow. All in all, it was a disheartening picture.

But Mario, now that he had been sufficiently brought up from his momentary pit of despair, would not be swayed from his excitement. All traces of sadness and hopelessness had vanished from him as he let go of Luigi's wrist and stood, hands on his hips, surveying the mess before him. He saw it with renewed vigor; a once more enlightened hope. "We could give-a it a fresh coat of-a paint," he suggested loudly, perhaps speaking, not only to Luigi, but anyone else within earshot. Advertisement, of any kind, couldn't hurt.

Luigi decided not to argue. There wasn't any point in doing so. The place did need fixing up...even if their electricity was probably just about to be cut off for late payments. It certainly wouldn't do any harm. It might even appease their debtors wrath, to a degree. But it would take time to get the work needed done accomplished, and they couldn't even get started without first buying some paint. Paint, however, would cost money...which they didn't have. And so they were back to square one. But Luigi wasn't about to bring _that_ up. Mario would figure it out soon enough; might as well let him be excited and happy while it lasted.

Though it proved not to last very long at all.

"Hey! You!"

Both Mario and Luigi gave a start, sending frightened glances down the littered walkway to their left. They already knew who the unfriendly voice belonged to, though it did little to ease their anxiety. Mario squared his shoulders, physically bracing himself for the confrontation that was sure to come, while Luigi vainly tried to shield himself behind his much shorter brother.

Foreman Spike* was by no means a pleasant man. Burly and large, he even towered over Luigi by a good several inches; and he was one to use it to his full advantage. He was head of one of the largest wrecking companies in the area, and, while his men did good work when it came to demolishing and erecting buildings, the way in which they went about their work was anything but good. Small shops were commonly prone to the foreman's sway; one day in business, and the next convinced to sell what little property they had over to the unsavory man's corporation. Spike had done such stone-hearted work to nearly every struggling business on the corner. He claimed that a large market, issued by a wealthy patron, was looking into building in their vicinity, which, naturally, meant that all the little shops and stores would have to move. Their places would be bulldozed to the ground to make way for a 'better' future in commerce. Foreman Spike had been successful in 'convincing' all but a few shop-owners to see things his way; Mario and Luigi's shop among those who still held out against him.

And that made them a favorite target.

Mario's cheerful mood evaporated to make room for a look of stubborn defiance as Foreman Spike marched toward the two plumbers. He didn't halt until he and Mario stood almost toe to toe, Mario barely coming up to Spike's chest. The bearded man's fists were clenched menacingly, as though he intended to floor the older brother with a single punch, but his face was adorned with a cruel, belittling smile.

"I want to talk with you, Plumber!" Spike growled from between his large teeth. He wore dark sunglasses that obscured his eyes from view, making it hard to read his expression fully. Mario never would have admitted it, but that unnerved him a bit. "You've been avoiding me the last few days," the foreman accused, jabbing a large, thick finger into the shorter man's chest. "And, frankly, I've had enough of your stall'n!"

Mario gazed calmly up at his instigator. He could feel Luigi at his back, trembling in fear, but he himself stood as tall and erect as his limited stature would allow. His younger brother was far more intimidated by the foreman than he was. Luigi was a flinchy sort; heart of gold, but hardly any backbone, which made an easy source of amusement for men like Spike. Sometimes Mario wondered whether the foreman came around to taunt _him_ , or if he just got some kind of cruel enjoyment out of scaring Luigi out of his wits.

"We're not-a stalling," Mario stated flatly, sliding a hand behind him to try and still his brother. "We gave you your-a answer. We have nothing left to-a discuss."

Spike's eyes narrowed as his body tensed at Mario's unrestrained defiance, and for a moment Mario thought the foreman was really going to hit him. But still the plumber retained his stance, knowing that, if the man laid a hand on him, it would be at the foreman's own risk. The last thing Spike needed was him reporting an assault to the police. That would ruin everything. Besides, physical attacks weren't Foreman Spike's style. He was more of the sneaky, underhanded, kick-you-while-you're-down type of guy. It was a gamble, true; after all, every man has his limits. Push them too far and who knew what might happen. But Mario was a fairly good judge when it came to knowing how far to go, and his assumptions were correct; Spike made no movement to touch him.

"You're right," the foreman sneered, "You have no choice. Construction begins here in less than a week, and I have my orders to get the rest of you weirdos out before then. This is a big job; good pay, and it's not an opportunity I intend to miss." His voice was audibly strained in anger, and, though he couldn't be sure, Mario thought he detected a tone that made it sound more and more like a threat. "You have no choice."

"That's not-a fair!" Luigi piped up indignantly, popping out from behind his brother for a moment. "We own-a the shop; no one-a can force us-a to sell!" The taller plumber winced at his own boldness, withering under Foreman Spike's sun-glassed glare until he was once again partially hidden behind Mario's back.

"He's-a right," Mario inserted matter-of-factly, drawing the foreman's attention back to himself. "It's-a our right to stay-a here." He gestured a hand toward the gray, dirty, paint-chipped entrance to their shop. "This-a store belonged to our-a father, and-a we promised to take-a care of it after he-a died." The small bit of emotion that had glinted through that statement was quickly hidden by a look of determination. "And we're not-a going to go back on a promise for-a some high priced-a fruit market." He crossed his arms over his chest, showing physically that he was not going to be swayed.

The smile faltered on Spike's face momentarily, before spreading back into a taunting smirk. "We'll see," was his only answer. With an unpleasant chuckle, he roughly brushed by the two plumbers to continue on his way down the street, anticipating to have more luck with some of the less steadfast shop-owners.

Mario sent a glare after the foreman's back, before his face softened and he sent a comforting glance over his shoulder at his brother. "You can-a come out, Luigi. He's-a gone."

Hesitantly, Luigi stood to his full height. He was still shaking, but that was quickly residing. Mario noticed that a number of passerbys were giving them odd stares, as well as a few of the patrons across the street. It was rather an uncommon sight, he supposed, for someone to stand up to Foreman Spike; but he didn't care. He wasn't going to back down just because his decision was unpopular.

"Come on-a, Luigi," he said curtly, "Let's-a go." With that he marched back into their shop, head raised, shoulders squared, and his younger brother trailing dutifully behind him; the atmosphere outside having lost its kind, cheerful nature.

No sooner had the door shut behind them when Mario visibly tensed; his hands clenched at his sides. With a abruptness that startled Luigi terribly, Mario kicked out at a metal pail resting on the floor at their feet. It was heavy, full of nuts and bolts, but the force of the older brother's anger sent it sliding across the gritty floor. Luigi winced, knowing that, even though Mario hadn't reacted, it must have hurt.

And it had, but Mario made sure he didn't show it. His foot throbbed with the impact; he must have twisted his ankle wrong when he had lashed out. Nothing that wouldn't stop stinging in a moment. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the far back wall. He could feel Luigi at his shoulder, silently watching his display of anger. Mario felt a brief twinge of regret, but that was quickly replaced by more frustration at the thought of the foreman.

"Who does he think-a he is?!" he growled hotly, still glaring at the paint-chipped wall. "Just-a because someone pays-a him to build these-a great buildings for a high price, does-a not give him the power, nor-a the right, to tell us-a what to do!" He stomped over to his chair by the window, flopping into it limply. His anger lingered in his expression a moment before slowly giving way to a look of sorrowful defeat. "What are-a we going to do, Luigi?" he asked weakly, taking off his blue plumbers cap* and running a hand through his light, brown hair. He bent forward, resting his arms on his knees and stared at the grimy floor tiles. "Everything's against-a us. This shop is-a falling apart; we haven't-a had a customer in ages; Spike's trying to push us-a out of our own-a shop and home..." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "We don't-a even have enough-a money to pay our bills. We're-a failing in our work; we're-a failing in our-a promise to Papa. We're-a nobodies." His next words hurt even as he said them. "Maybe we should-a just give in. After all...how many plumbers does-a one city need?"

Luigi, who still stood silently by the door, moved forward carefully. Again he marveled at the way Mario could switch from one extreme emotion to another. It was only just after 7:45, and already his brother had gone from severely depressed, to excited, to proud, to angry, and then back to severely depressed. It made the younger brother exhausted just watching. Mario was a good sort; rare in his steadfast, bold attitude, especially when it came to opposition against things he believed in; like fairness and rights. But he also often worried about things that were out of his control. This was a perfect example. They couldn't do anything about the lack of customers that seemed to plague them. That was just the way things were. And nothing could really be done about Foreman Spike; they'd just have to keep fighting him. He couldn't force them out, not legally anyway. But Luigi was more concerned with the possibility of Spike trying something a little less according to the law. The foreman was being paid more money for this upcoming job than either Mario Brother had ever seen, and were ever likely to see. Spike would not be stopped easily, not with a prize like that to be had. They were standing in his way; well, Mario was really. Though, Luigi certainly backed his brother in the decision to stay. Luigi just hoped that Mario wouldn't get hurt in the process. Foreman Spike was a threat often better left alone.

Luigi opened his mouth to offer what little comfort he had been able to scrape together in his mind, but before he could do so the loud, insistent ringing of a telephone broke the silence. It took a moment before it sunk in that the shrill sound was coming from their own, dusty, rotary phone on the corner of Mario's desk. As soon as it registered, both brother's launched themselves toward the device with all the air of two children scrambling for the world's last cookie. Mario was a little faster, reaching the phone and lifting the receiver just as Luigi slammed into him; crunching him between his taller brother's body and the hard edge of the worn, surfaced desk.

"Ungh!...Hello?!" Mario sent his brother a pained, annoyed glance, pushing himself away from the desk and messaging his now bruised ribs. The hand on his lower chest stilled as the person on the opposite line started speaking.

Luigi watched his brother's changing expressions with impatience, wishing he could hear what was being said. But, unfortunately, he could not; leaving him with only Mario's broken sentences to appease his curiosity

.

"Yes; yes, this is-a the Mario Bros. Plumbing Company...Yes, ma'am...Uh huh...Really? That-a bad?...Yeesh." Mario's face was beginning to retain that natural glow again. "Yes, I'm-a sure we can fix-a that in no time...Yes, we can come-a right over. What's-a the address?...Oops, wait a minute." Mario hunted his desktop for a pencil and a small scrap of paper. It was hard to do, what with the surface littered with so much junk; but he managed, finding what he needed fairly quickly. "Okay, go ahead...449...North Pine Street...Got it; 449 North Pine Street, apartment B...Yes, ma'am...Thank you. We'll-a be right over. Yes. Goodbye."

Setting the phone back onto the receiver, Mario jumped around gripping his startled brother in a crushing bear-hug. Luigi gasped, trying to extricate himself from his enthusiastic brother's hold. Mario let go on his own, exclaiming loudly for all to hear.

"We've-a got a job, Luigi! That-a means money, and money-a means we can-a pay our bills!"

Luigi smiled; things looking up at last. Even if the money they earned from one job would surely not be enough to pay for even half their dues, it was a start. "What-a kind of job is it?" he asked, truly curious.

Mario shrugged. "The lady lost-a her ring down-a her kitchen sink. She thinks it's-a still in the drain, and she's-a probably right. It's-a more than-a likely that it's-a stuck in the sink trap*." He gave a chuckle as he tugged on the brim of Luigi's green plumber's cap, pulling it down playfully over his brother's eyes. "Come on, Bro," he laughed, "I told-a her we'd be right-a there! Can't-a keep our customer waiting!" He snatched up his tool box and headed for the door; Luigi stumbling after him as he tried to readjust his cap so that he could see.

* * *

 **This chapter (and the next few) take place during the game 'Mario Bros.', which originated as an arcade game. It was not the first Mario game, seeing as 'Donkey Kong' came long before, but it is the first to call Mario by his name rather than Jumpman, and was also the first to introduce Luigi as Mario's brother. It takes place in the sewers of New York, which means it must have happened before the brothers ended up in the Mushroom Kingdom. In my story, this game is when it all began...**

 ***(1943) Yeah, I figured I'd have to pick a time period for Mario and Luigi to have existed in. I did a ton of research, searching for any clues as to what I could use. I found a series of pictures from the 1940's, and knew I was on the right track. Then I came across one particular picture that made up my mind. It was an old, faded, white and black, yellowed photo of two plumbers (dressed very similarly to Mario and Luigi) standing in front of their run down shop in the city. It inspired me, and helped me set the mood for my story. :)**

 ***(Foreman Spike) This character is not mine. He comes from the Mario game 'Wrecking Crew', and was later believed to be a sort of prototype for Wario. In 'Wrecking Crew', Spike was a foreman for whom Mario and Luigi worked for. But instead of being helpful, Spike would try to stop them from getting any work done, for his own greedy purposes. In my story, you can see I've adapted him in so that his character fits. He's still a foreman for a construction company, but Mario and Luigi do not work for him.**

 ***(Blue Plumber's Cap) In the game, on which this story is based, Mario wore a blue cap. The rest of his outfit was much the same as it is today. Luigi, however, was a different matter. Luigi was adorned in green overalls and a green cap with a brown undershirt.**

 ***(Sink Trap) A part of a pipe under a sink where things typically get stuck.**


	2. Shards

Mario could not have been happier. Sure, he was tired, and the job of finding the missing ring had proved to be far more problematic than he had first anticipated, but the jingle of cash in his pocket made it all worth it. Dirty and thoroughly worn out, the whole job had taken a good several hours to perform, mostly due to the plumber's complete ineptitude to find the street on which the woman lived. The street system of New York still bewildered him, despite the years he and his brother had lived there. The complicated series of apartments had proven to be just as arduous. He and Luigi were forced to resort to knocking on several doors until they came across a resident who knew their prospective client. By then it had been around noon.

The woman had been in near hysterics by that point, first scolding them for taking so long before launching into a weeping tale of how much the ring meant to her. While Luigi had done his best to calm her down, Mario had started to investigate the sink in question. It was old, rusted, and, in all honesty, one of the most disgusting porcelain objects he had ever seen. It had taken a solid hour just to find and unscrew the bolts holding the piping together. And once it had been accomplished, Mario found that the pipe was blocked by all manner of gunk. It was a wonder that the woman hadn't had trouble before now. The water must have been very slow in draining, and he wondered why she hadn't noticed it.

Either way, it meant that the ring couldn't have gotten any further than the sink trap. It was only a matter of finding it amongst the dirt, grime, and scraps of junk that jammed the pipe itself.

By the time he found the ring it was late evening. The sun had started to set, casting the city buildings in darkness, with only the tallest still basking in the sun's orange glow. A wind had taken up residence in the streets, blowing paper and various trash like tumbleweeds down the sidewalks. The woman had been grateful, though, perhaps not as grateful as all his toil had been worth. But money was money, no matter how small the amount, it was helpful. And with a curt nod, he and Luigi left to return to their shop, a grand total of 50 cents in hand*. And that had only been because the woman had been feeling generous. So much for paying the electric bill*. But, despite this, Mario was feeling fairly good about it all. The one job had reawakened his hope, and now his mind was well up and running with the possibility of more opportunities. Even Luigi seemed slightly more encouraged.

The walk back to their street was long and even more tiring. They took a few wrong turns, much to Mario's annoyance. He had never been one for directions. Luckily, Luigi was better with that kind of thing, and got them back to the shop just as darkness fell completely, the lights of the city flickering on around them. Neon signs flashed and sputtered to life, calling to the nighttime crowd, which, unfortunately was practically nonexistent. It was Monday night, and the streets were bare, at least, in this part of the city, other than a few passerbys. The welcoming lights would be wasted this evening.

The only lighting by their shop was their neighbor's lamp, a small light bulb that hung outside the jeweler's store. It was enough to see by, allowing Mario to find the keys in his pocket. He was searching through the ring, when he was shaken by the shoulder rather violently. Startled, and a little annoyed, he turned to give his brother a hard glare, but stopped when he saw Luigi's wide-eyed expression. The younger plumber looked terrified.

"Luigi? What's-a matter with you?"

Luigi gibbered something incoherent, until finally resorting to just pointing. His finger rose shakily, indicating the glass window framed within the wood of the door. There, looking quite ominous in the half light, was a paper with a disturbingly threatening image of a scull and crossbones printed in dark, oozing black. Mario stared at it a moment, trying to decide if he should be angry or whether he should just laugh. The image seemed terribly out of place, like a toy doll in a lawyer's office, but, for some reason, Mario sensed that this was more than a joke. Something about the black, ink drawing, with sightless eyes and jagged teeth, was warningly uncomfortable. The world around them suddenly didn't feel as safe as it had before.

Mario frowned, subconsciously edging closer to his brother as he surveyed the nearly empty street. Despite the quiet and calm, he had a strong feeling that they were far from alone. Trying to hide his unease, he cleared his throat and called out. "It's not-a funny, Spike." To anyone else, this statement might have been ridiculous. That the plumber could believe anyone was near enough to hear his words, other than his brother, was simply unreasonable. But, unlikely as it was, his words were answered by a low, unfriendly chuckle.

"Aw, come on now. Can't a guy have a little fun?"

From behind a dark shadow, Foreman Spike appeared. In the night atmosphere he seemed taller; more muscular. He towered over them menacingly, even though a smile on his face seemed disturbingly playful. He stopped just in front of them, facing with his right the right side of the shop's door. He gestured to the picture that hung there. "And besides," his face grew grim, "This wasn't meant to be funny."

Mario glowered. He had had just about all he could take of this guy. Spike had no right to antagonize him and Luigi. No right to post some odd picture on their door, which was beginning to look more and more like a threat. A need to get inside, away from the foreman, took president in the plumber's mind. But he didn't want Spike to know just how nervous the foreman's presence was making him. "Good. Then-a you can have it back." Reaching out he intended to rip the paper off the door and hand it back, but, before he could react, Spike had shot a hand out and gripped his wrist. From behind him, Mario heard Luigi whimper slightly.

"I'm growing tired of dealing with you two idiots," Spike gritted threateningly. His grip was a lot stronger than Mario might have anticipated. All thought from before, of Spike not laying a hand on him or Luigi, was blown to bits. Here, at night, with no witnesses, the foreman would find that he could get away with a lot more. Without people's accounts to back him up, Mario wouldn't be able to accuse Spike of anything. Luigi's words would be useless, seeing as he was family. They were immigrants, and that wouldn't do much in their favor either. It all gave Mario a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. "But I'm a decent man, so I'm going to ask you one more time to get the heck out of here. To take your sorry, little business someplace else."

There was a moment of silence, in which Mario glared directly into the eyes of rival. There was something akin to fear in his gaze, try as he did to conceal it. But his anger was taking president, and it wasn't long before it won out over his nerves. Wrenching his wrist out of Spike's hold, he took a few steps back, hands clenched and stance ready for a fight. "Our answer is-a the same as it has always been," he warned, his voice low, but strong. "What you are doing is-a wrong. And I am willing to stand against-a you if need be. We are _staying_." His eyes sealed his words with a fiery passion, and the foreman found his smile fading.

"Then I will take no responsibility for what may happen," he said coldly, and then turned and began to walk away.

Mario blinked, confused that Spike was leaving without a fight; something which he had anticipated as inevitable. "W-wait!" He was disoriented by the foreman's behavior, and as Spike half turned to face him, that confusion was easily readable in his expression. "What...what is-a that supposed to mean?" It was the best thing he could come up with at the moment.

Spike's smile returned; a nasty, unnerving grin. "It means that you are going to leave, _Plumber_...whether you want to or not." And with that, he was gone, leaving two very unnerved men behind him in the empty street. But, suddenly, it didn't feel so empty. Shadows lurked, and Mario all at once realized that, though Spike was finished talking, his threat was still very much a danger at the moment. While the foreman might not do the deed himself, there were those who worked for him that would cause them trouble at his command.

Mario tried not to let the chill traveling up and down his spine effect him. His mind mentally ticking off the moments of silence, and with a hurried motion, Mario stuck the key into the lock of their door and gave it a quick turn and a shove. The door opened, and, without a moment's hesitation, the red-clad plumber grabbed Luigi's arm and pulled him through to safety. Or what he hoped was safety. The bell on the door clanged loudly as he slammed the portal shut, re-locking it and then hurriedly stepping back, taking his brother with him to the back of the shop.

A moment later, something smashed through the window, causing the brother's to flinch and stumble back. Glass shattered, spraying sharp pieces of brittle, aged shards all over the tiled floor. A brick, chipped and gritty, slid to a stop a short ways from them, leaving ugly, dirty scratches on the floor. That was followed by yet another projectile, this one coming through the door, right where the skull and crossbones had been. It pushed the paper through the glass, ripping it and sending it inside in another shower of broken material.

Mario was positively livid. This was against everything he believed in. It went against the law, it went against his strong sense of fair play, it went against his pacifistic morals. How was he supposed to keep calm and ignore Spike when the foreman was so willing to resort to such...such _violence_? The red plumber winced as one brick, entering in through a preexisting hole in the window, hit his shin, prompting him to move swiftly behind the safety of his desk. Luigi followed, whimpering pitifully.

Hearing his brother voicing his fear was enough to push Mario to his limits. Lurching over the brim of his desk, the red-clad plumber grabbed the rotary phone that resided there, taking it back with him behind the shelter of the furniture. It was a bit of a stretch, seeing as the phone's cord didn't quite make it, and Mario had to sit at an odd angle to use it, but he knew what he needed to do would only take a moment.

He called the police.

It was his only choice, and not one he made lightly. But this had to stop, if only for that night. He hated resorting to outside help, but this was just over his head. He was uncertain how far Spike's men were willing to go. How far _Spike_ was willing to go. He might not have minded if it was just him, but this involved Luigi as well, and _no one_ messed with Luigi. Not if Mario had any say in the matter.

Shortly after he made the call, sirens filled the air outside. The brick throwing stopped abruptly, and by the time the authorities arrived, the offenders had gone. The police took in the damage, jotted down a lot of notes, and listened to both brothers' accounts. All with a fairly passive attitude. After all, accusing Foreman Spike of such brutality was rather a hard piece of information to swallow. Spike was a wealthy business owner. Why would he waste time on a little, plumbing agency? They would check with him, of course; ask a few questions. But, in the end, Mario knew it would be their word against his. And, when push came to shove, who in their right mind would side with a tiny business, barely surviving on the back streets of New York? But at least the attack had been stopped. For the night.

The police left, saying that they would do some investigations. Mario knew they were just being polite. Their minds were already made up. Sighing, the red-clad plumber gazed around their battered shop. Nearly all the glass had been smashed in. It lay in glistening piles all over the floor, and sills, and even on some of the furniture that was unfortunate enough to have resided too close to the window. It would take a long time to clean up...

Exchanging a sad, exhausted glance with his brother, Mario reached out a hand to take the broom from the corner. "We're not gonna get-a much sleep," he stated weakly, gesturing to the mess around him. "Might as well get-a started."

Luigi watched a moment or two as his brother began moving the glass into a neat, little pile. He let out a sigh of his own, leaving to fetch the dustpan. His heart was heavy, carrying not only the weight of his own disbelief and sorrow, but the knowledge of the sorrow it must be causing his brother. Mario loved that shop, maybe even more than he did. To see it the way it was now must be...painful.

Spike had crossed the line.

And there was nothing they could do about it.

* * *

 **Alright, here we go. ;) Sorry it took me so long to get this up; my family just got back from a camping trip. :)**

 ***50 cents = I had no idea how much a plumbing job in 1943. I did some research on prices, both on plumbing today, and the cost of various products in 1940. 50 cents would have been enough to buy one gallon of milk and two loaves of bread. Man, wouldn't that be nice?!**

 ***1940s electric bill = Roughly around $3.58 - Sounds pretty sweet to me...**

 **I tried to cut back on my use of "-a"s in this chapter. I would get rid of them altogether, but my little sister says she likes them, so there you go. But, like one of my readers pointed out (thank you, by the way) I tend to over use them. Hopefully, it was a little better this time 'round. :)**


	3. Chase in the Night

Spike's damage wasn't just confined to the broken glass and splintered wood of the shop. It left the brothers badly shaken, in more ways than one. Luigi was just plain terrified. The fact that people existed in the world who could do something so cruel, so heartless, left him speechless with fear. He was afraid that another attack might follow, and that it might be even worse. Mario, for his part, was worried about the exact same thing, only for different reasons. He too was afraid that the foreman would cause more trouble for them, but his main concern was his brother's safety. They had been lucky this time. They might not be so lucky again. He became determined to try an reign in his fighting spirit, for Luigi's sake. But it wasn't easy. Mario was the type who liked to address a matter directly, but, with this, that didn't seem possible.

A few days passed, with little excitement. The brothers worked on fixing up their shop, though they could only do a little of that. They had no money for new window panes, never mind paint, and jobs continued to be scarce. But even then, Mario downright refused to give in. He refused to let Spike see how much the incident had hurt him emotionally. His eyes held an even more determined gleam in them than before. He swept up the shards of their run-down shop in silence. There was no crying, or cursing, or threatening, not that Luigi expected him to. Instead, he managed to maintain a patient, calm sense of defiance that Luigi had never seen before. It was strong, and firm. But there was always that sense of fear in both of them.

Spike was seen a few times, walking up or down the street, though he didn't stop anywhere near their shop. Probably to keep himself out of suspicion. No doubt the police had stopped by and told him of the brother's accusations against him, and surely he had denied it. It wouldn't do to be seen in the vicinity of the Mario Brothers, at least during the day. There was always the possibility of another attack by night, but as the days rolled into a week, nothing happened. However, Spike's presence across the street was often met with Mario's cold, defiant glare. The foreman's own expression seemed just as stubborn, and maybe even dangerous, a dark swirl of hatred that was always targeted toward the red-clad plumber. But, again, Mario refused to be intimidated. And Luigi, frightened as he was, remained by his side. The standoff lasted a total of ten days. Long, tense days. The brothers found a few jobs here and there, but only enough to buy food. And, of that, only enough for that day.

But that all changed in an instant. And little did the Mario Brothers know just how much it would effect the rest of their lives.

* * *

Mario had his hands full of piping and tools, a task that was proving to be far more difficult than he had first imagined. Many of the objects were rusty, or covered in a silty dust. Having wanted something to occupy his spare time, something that he seemed to have an abundance of, Mario had collected them up, cleaned those that could be salvaged, and sorted through and disposed of those that could not. Luigi had gone to the store to buy a few groceries with the few cents they had left from their last job. Without an extra hand, Mario found that he dropped far more of the load than he managed to hold onto. He was becoming frustrated, jumping when the loud clank of another wrench hitting the floor grated on his nerves. With a grunt, he just let the whole bundle fall to the floor with a tremendous bang, followed by a string of angry Italian.

"Uh...Is this a bad time, Mister?"

Mario's heart leaped in his throat, a vague thrill of fear shooting up his spine without his consent. Whirling around with wide eyes, he nearly melted in relief at the sight of two men, who he knew were not a part of Foreman Spike's crew. They were filthy, covered in almost as much grime as the plumber himself. They smelled rather unpleasant, though not overpoweringly so, and they wore caps on their heads, not unlike Mario's own, though of gray and brown. "No.." Mario coughed, trying to regain his full voice. "No, come on-a in."

The two men, far taller than Mario himself, stepped into the shop, looking about at the damage with curious expressions and the bobbing of their heads. One, a big, skinny fellow, raised an eyebrow as he stepped over the few remaining large shards of glass that Mario had yet to dispose of. "Bad day?"

Mario gave a weak smile, casting his eyes over the ruins. "Bad week. How can I help-a you?"

Nodding, the slightly smaller of the two men stepped forward. "We work in the sewers below the city." He made a face, indicating that he didn't care for the job in the least. "We were working on a project a few streets down, but found we needed a type of piping that we just don't have in stock. We've never even seen it before. We were told you sold a lot of old parts and came here. Think you can help us out?"

Mario wiped his grimy hands on his even grimier overalls. His wipe gloves were stained, and he took them off, finding that the skin of his hands were just as dirty as the material had been. "What do you-a need?"

The fellow nodded. "It's out in the truck." He started back out the door, Mario trailing behind.

It was a pretty nice day, hot, with the light heating the cement of the roads and making it twice as humid. Not many people were about, which was just fine with Mario. He was almost ashamed of the condition of his father's shop, and, though he wanted jobs, he couldn't help wishing that no one would see the store in the shape it was now in. Spike especially. Mario's eyes scanned the sidewalks for any sign of the foreman, and, thankfully, found none. The two men brought him to the back of an old, rusty pick-up. Mario noted, with embarrassment, that he was too short to see inside, over the rim into the metal, back storage compartment. The two men reached down inside and hauled on something. Something large. And heavy, if their grunts were anything to go by.

"Egh! Here-here you go!" the slightly shorter man reported, as they both managed to left the piping out and lay it on the roadside in front of the shop. Mario blinked, completely bewildered by what he saw before him.

The pipe, which was far larger than any piping he'd ever worked with before, was an odd, lime-colored green. Though, seeing as this was something from beneath the city, maybe that was the size some pipes were down there. But the color...Mario just couldn't come to terms with that strange color. It was so vibrant, as though the metal itself were that hue, not just a coat of lime paint. Mario crouched beside it, laying a hand against it, but just barely, letting only his bare fingers brush up against it's surface. It caused an strange, tingling sensation to travel up his arm, and he let out a soft gasp, pulling his hand away sharply. He stared at his hand, a puzzled expression crossed his face. His hand looked fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"We discovered these things a few days ago," the tallest man was saying, unaware of the pipe's effect on the plumber. He scratched the back of his head, under the rim of his cap. "Funny thing is, we'd never seen them there before. And we've worked there for years. Heh, you'd think that we would have noticed something like them before, right?"

Mario blinked, straightening. "You mean-a there's more?" Somehow, the thought of that made him uneasy.

The workman shrugged. "Oh, I don't know...What would you say, Will? Three or four of 'em?" Will nodded. "Yeah, we'd say about that. Got any parts? You see, they're in pretty bad shape, and we don't want our boss get'n mad that it hasn't been taken care of before now."

Mario shook his head sadly, letting his eyes run over the smooth, green surface of the large pipe. It was big enough for him to crawl through, if he had wanted anything of the sort. Which he didn't. It was long enough to only just barely fit in the back of the pick-up. Mario had never laid eyes on anything like it. Of course, he had never been in the sewers below the city. "I'm sure we don't have anything like this around-a here...What's wrong with it?"

Will crouched, tilting the piping over onto its other side with the help of his partner. On this side, there was a red, steering-wheel-like gadget attached to the pipe, some kind of valve or switch that Mario, as a simple plumber, didn't recognize. It reminded him of the turn-knobs for a hose, or the ones he found once in a while in someone's basement. Only this was far larger. This, however, wasn't what Will had planned to show him. Mario spotted it immediately. A jagged tear, which seemed almost impossible for such durable metal, had been shorn into the side of the piping. It was a dark, jagged tear, almost ominous in it's size and shape. Mario, despite himself, reached out and touched it's rigid edge. Again, he felt an odd sensation travel up his limb, and pulled away.

"We don't know how it happened, or even _when_ it happened," Will stated with a shake of his head. "But this here pipe got messed up something terrible, and it's not the only one. All of them have been torn open like this. Almost looks like from the inside too."

Mario cocked his head, contemplating what that meant. Steam maybe? Or pressure from something like it. That might cause damage like this. "Well...I certainly don't have any parts to replace-a them with...But, I suppose-a me and my brother could come and try to patch them up. We have some special sealant that-a might do the trick." As he said it, Mario's instinct gave a sudden, uncomfortable twist. Something about the situation, about the pipe itself, made him uneasy. Which was silly; it was just a pipe. Old metal. But his mind seemed to tell him there was more to it then that. It told him he should stay away. As far away as possible. And Mario might have listened... had his curiosity not gotten the better of him. He wanted to see below the city. He wanted to see these strange pipes. Not to mention that he and Luigi needed the money. "How much for the job?"

Will held a hand to his chin, stroking it thoughtfully. "Ten cents an hour?"

"Deal." Mario held out a hand and shook on it. "What time should-a we come?"

"Kevin and I will meet you at the manhole two blocks down tonight. You can't miss it; it's the only one on that side."

Mario felt a wave of fear slip up his spine. While he trusted these men, he did _not_ trust Spike's men. Walking outside the shop might prove hazardous to the plumber's health, as well as that of his brother. Especially at night. His eyes fell to the pipe once more. Funny how, despite its obvious age, it held no rust; not even around the area where it had been torn. It was a mystery in and of itself, and it called to Mario. And, struggle though he tried, he could not resist the adventure its calling promised. "That will be fine," he said strongly, nodding to both men. "My brother and-a I will be there after dark..." But he couldn't help asking. "Why at-a night?"

Kevin shrugged. "It's our shift. Bad break, we know, but it's not too bad. We've got lights installed down there anyway." He clapped Mario on the back, almost knocking the plumber over. "Well, see you then!" He and Will managed to set the piping back in the truck, settling it in before driving away.

Mario watched them leave, his mind feeling light with a mix of excitement and nerves. Hopefully Luigi would be willing to go through with this. Mario wasn't sure he could do it on his own. He had never been that fond of being underground, but, again, his curiosity pushed down his fear of that, as well as his fears of Foreman Spike. There was something going on down there. He was certain of it, though just what he couldn't grasp. He wanted...no, _needed_ to go and see for himself. Even if it meant a little bit of trouble...

He was willing to give this job a try.

* * *

"This is-a crazy!"

Luigi's soft wail of protest grated on Mario's patience. They hadn't even left the shop yet, and already the younger brother was a lump of trembling nerves beside him. He had been happy to hear they had a job, but had practically caved in on himself when Mario informed him that it was at night, underground, and required them leaving the safety of their shop. Now, as they stood pressed up against the door, preparing to head out into the street, Mario was struggling his own doubts. It had been quite a while since Spike's attack on the shop. He was due, of that Mario was certain. But he shoved those thoughts aside. He wasn't going to dwell on them. He was sick of hiding inside the shop. Sick of flinching at every sound and movement. He was going out. Spike wouldn't be out tonight. He was sure...Or, at least, he told himself he was.

"We _have_ to," Mario hissed back, peering out the crack into the dimly illuminated road beyond. "I promised-a them that we would come!" He adjusted the straps on his satchel. It was heavy, and uncomfortable on his back, weighing him down slightly. He had insisted on carrying it, wanting Luigi free to run should he need to, though he only considered that subconsciously. "We _have_ to go," he repeated, more as a reinforcement to himself.

Luigi trembled against him. "B-but...S-Spike could-a be out there!"

"We'll go quickly."

"B-but-"

"Oh, come on!" Mario gripped Luigi's wrist, pulling him through the door and out onto the street. Turning quickly, the red-clad plumber locked the shop door with a click. There. Now Mario couldn't turn back, even if he wanted to. Pocketing the key, he started down the sidewalk, his brother practically latched onto his side.

It was dark, he had to admit that. Beside the usual hustle and bustle of city life toward New York's center, these streets were becoming more and more void of life. Spike had chased out nearly all the patrons, and those who were left were preparing to leave. No lights illuminated the various windows here. Only the street lights gave them anything to see by. It was chilly, compared to the humid day they had experienced; a few rumbles of far off thunder indicated the reason for the drop in temperature. They made it to the end of their street, turning onto an even darker alleyway. As they did so, taking about twenty paces, Luigi all at once drew up short, halting and stopping Mario in the process.

"S-Stop."

"Luigi-"

"M-Mario...L-let's-a go back to the shop..."

Mario suddenly felt a wave of guilt. Luigi was terrified. And, though Mario didn't want to admit it, so was he. As his eyes drifted over the darkened alley, a sense of unease took hold of the red-clad plumber. What was he doing, taking a chance like this? Was it really worth this job? His curiosity had been baited, and he had taken a hold of it without thinking. Spike had been lying in wait, quietly and patiently for days now. He surely had someone keeping an eye on them. Spike would know. Spike _had_ to know. In the darkness, the danger seemed far more real, and far more likely than it had from the safety of their shop. "What have-a I done?" Mario whispered to the blackness. He started to back away out of the alley. No, this wasn't worth the job. Luigi's safety was worth far more. "M-Maybe you're right...Let's-a go b-" he turned as he spoke, but then his words caught in his throat.

Standing, blocking the way, stood the dark silhouettes of three men. Burly and muscular, they could have been anyone, but Mario knew at once that they were Spike's men. They stood menacingly, then began stepping closer in a purposeful stride. Luigi let loose a frightened whimper, griping onto his brother fearfully. Mario himself found it hard to keep down his own panic. The shock that his own worst worry had just become a reality froze him, and it wasn't until the mysterious men had taken three steps toward them that his brain kicked back into gear.

"Run!" He grabbed Luigi's arm, racing off down the dark alley at full speed. The black figures behind them gave chase, matching their speed in seconds. The uneven stones of the alley made it hard to run, causing the brothers to stumble every few steps. Their only consolation being that their pursuers were suffering the same frustration, though not as badly. The men behind them were far taller, with much longer legs. They could run far more easily, and far faster. Within a moment, Mario could hear the pounding of their feet directly behind them, just as they broke out onto the next street. Mario could have passed out in relief, thinking that the men would stop once they were out in the open. The main street was lit up with shops, there were even a few people out and about. They wouldn't dare to do anything here.

His assumption proved wrong.

As they raced out into car-deserted road, the few persons there turned to face them...before running toward them, with the same purpose as those behind them. They seemed to be coming awful fast, and Mario hadn't even called for help yet. He opened his mouth to shout, before the horrible realization hit him. These were more of the foreman's men! Turning sharply, Mario tugged Luigi to the left, racing along the roadside, past the shops, producing a sharp cry of pain from his brother. Mario felt sorry, but couldn't stop to apologize. His chest was starting to ache from running, his lungs working too hard to speak around his gasps for air. There was now a total number of seven men behind them, and Mario knew that, should they be caught, things would not turn out well. At all.

It took Mario a moment to realize that he was still running in the direction of their pre-existing route, toward the place he had arranged to meet the sewer workers. He vaguely wondered if they _had_ been part of Spike's crew, and that the whole charade with the pipe might have just been an attempt to lure them outside, in the dark of night, when there would be no one to help them. Mario hoped not. He had rather liked the two workers. But now, as they neared the rendezvous point, he realized that, though it was a gamble, it might be their only chance.

Suddenly, Luigi's wrist, which had been returning Mario's grip with equal strength, was all at once ripped from the red plumber's grasp. "MARIO!"

Mario whipped around, grinding to a halt, a look of fear and anger on his face. Two men, faster than the rest, had caught up and snatched his brother. Now they stood, breathing heavily, but grinning crookedly, Luigi held tightly between them. The younger Mario brother was wincing from the pain of being handled so roughly, his entire shoulder stinging with the force with which he had been pulled back and out of Mario's grip.

Seeing that the other men weren't far behind, Mario launched forward without thought or warning, landing a vicious punch to one of the men's chests. "Let-a my brother go!" The man doubled over in agony, releasing Luigi just enough for the taller plumber to jerk his right arm free. Desperate, Luigi added his own self defense, stomping down on the second man's foot with a strength he hadn't known he had. Like the first, the man let go, leaving Luigi free to run. And he did so, right alongside Mario, leaving the two men gasping and cursing behind them.

Luigi cradled his arm as they raced forward, the pain now a dull thrum in his muscles. "Where are-a we going?!" he cried out in panic, glancing behind them every few moments to gaze in horror at the advancing posse behind them, growing ever closer.

"We have to..make it-a...to the sewers!" Mario gasped, feeling his energy starting to leave him. He wasn't used to all this activity. Though certainly not fat, he had never been as thin and healthy as his brother. _Too much pasta_ , he thought ruefully. "If we...make it there...we can hide!" They rounded another corner, out onto yet a third street; the street where the manhole was supposed to be located. Mario began to wonder if they wouldn't find it. What if it had all been a lie? His breath hitched painfully, his heart pounding so hard it hurt. He was beginning to slow down. He couldn't run like this anymore. He was too worn out. But before he could give up, Luigi's voice yelled out slightly ahead of him now.

"There it is, Mario!"

Mario felt Luigi grab his own wrist, just as Mario himself had done earlier, and their positions were switched; Luigi leading and Mario stumbling behind, trying his best to keep up.

A dark manhole, open and filled with blackness, loomed before them. Their pursuers were about to round the corner; if they were going to slip inside without being seen they'd have to do so at a run. Casting all thoughts of what might lie within, Luigi jumped down inside, barely managing to catch the ladder as he started to descend, Mario following right behind him. With a quick motion, Mario grabbed the manhole cover, heavy as it was, pulling it over them just as the shouts of their chasers became audible. Holding their breath, the two brothers stood on the underground ladder, clutching the rusty bars in desperation, darkness their only sight, praying that they had made it in time.

The shouts became louder, and then they heard the sound of heavy boots running over the metal of the manhole . At first, Mario thought they were trying to get in, so he reached up and gripped the underside of the lid to try and keep it where he had placed it. But, as the voices grew further away, he slowly realized that they _had_ made it. For the moment, they were safe.

"We...we made-a it!" he whispered breathlessly to his brother below him. A shuddering sigh escaped them both, and it was a wonder neither of them fainted in relief. Resting his sweating forehead against the cold metal of the bars, Mario soaked in the moment, trying to regain his breath before tackling the next problem.

What were they going to do now?

* * *

 **Here we go, now we're starting to see a little excitement! I had so much to set up in this story, I feel like the first few chapters might have been difficult to get through, both for me as the writer and you as the reader. But now things are starting to get moving. ;)**


	4. Down Below

The sound of their heavy breathing echoed in the darkness around them, mixing with the gentle drips of water coming from below. The air was damp and humid, stuffy compared to the pleasantly cool night above ground. It smelled bad, though not nearly as unpleasant as they had expected. Mario struggled to calm his tingling nerves. His sweaty hands slid slowly on the bars of the rickety, metal ladder, prompting him to readjust and tighten his grip. His legs felt like wet pasta, shaking and weak from the long, desperate run. How they had even managed to escape was a mystery in and of itself. They were much shorter than those who had chased them. Shorter legs, shorter height. But adrenaline had lent them speed, which was now leaving them at an incredible rate. Mario suddenly noticed the weight on his back, remembering the supplies he had brought with them.

Still breathing hard, he looked down over his shoulder. He couldn't see anything, but he knew his brother was there. "You alright, Luigi?" he panted, squinting as though that might help.

A shaky voice answered him. "Y-yeah...Yeah, I-I'm alright."

"Have-a you got a light or anything?"

"N-no."

That was a problem. Mario shifted uncomfortably, the slickness of his hands forcing him to adjust his grip yet again. "Those two men said that-a they installed lights down-a here."

There was a pause. "You believe them?"

Mario flinched. He still wasn't sure whether the two fellows who had visited their shop were a part of Spike's crew or not. It made sense, it had been the perfect trap, especially with how stupidly trusting he could be. But something within the plumber refused to accept that. It didn't feel right. "I don't-a know," he said, grunting with the effort of staying in one place on the ladder. "But we can't-a stay here."

Below him, Luigi looked up. His view wasn't as veiled in darkness as Mario's, gaining the smallest amount of light from the crack in the manhole cover, making Mario's silhouette only just visible. He blinked against the dim light, also finding it difficult to hold onto the bars beneath his fingers. He looked down into the darkness behind him, feeling a need to get back above ground, away from the gloom and mystery it held. He had the strangest desire to run up the ladder and cling to his brother like glue, maybe even go right over him to the land above. But Mario was certainly not going to allow that. Knowing his brother's answer before he even asked it, Luigi gulped. "What should-a we do?"

"Go down. Maybe we can-a find another way to the surface...Closer to home."

Luigi sent another wincing look below him. He wished fervently that Mario had entered the tunnel first. He had no desire whatsoever to lead the way into the dark, foul smelling pit looming beyond the ladder's reach. But there really was nothing else they could do. Foreman Spike's men would be searching for them. Hunting high and low until daybreak. Tired now, and thoroughly worn, the two brothers wouldn't stand a chance of outrunning them again. Luigi had a feeling it was going to be a long, miserable night.

"OK, Luigi...Start heading down...Carefully."

Luigi knew of no other way. Arms strained and shaking, he willed himself to gently guide his body down a few steps. Above him, he could hear Mario doing the same. Pausing a moment rewarded the younger brother with Mario's boot coming down on his fingers, managing to just barely pull them out of the way in time. Quickening his pace, he nearly slipped, a dizzying jolt of fear running like cold water down his spine.

"You alright?"

"Y-Yes."

"Don't-a slip."

Mario was having slightly better luck. The fact that Luigi was below him made him feel safer, but only a little. Above him he knew loomed the dark, metal disk of the manhole cover. He half expected that at any moment it would be removed, and he and his brother would be in the hands of the foreman's men, who were nothing more than cowering bullies, looking for an easy target. Well, if they did manage to catch up with them, Mario intended to be far more than an sitting duck. He didn't know how to fight, other than a few punches he had learned in a brawl with some kids when he was younger, but desperation could prove a valuable ally, and he would do anything to protect himself and his brother. He heard Luigi gasp again, making his own heart jump.

"It's-a slippery," Luigi's voice echoed eerily, a whisper, but made loud by the walls around them. The dripping of water on Mario's nose seemed to confirm his words. Water was coming from all over, slipping down the sides and running down the ladders sidebars. At least, Mario hoped it was water. He didn't want to think of what else it might be.

They continued like that for what felt like hours. Step by step, rung by rung, they moved steadily downward. It was cold, a unnatural breeze whipping up at them from somewhere unknown, carrying with it many smells, most of which were unpleasant. The sweat that had formed on their skin during their heated run, now only served to chill them further. Shivering took hold, and all they could think of was the amazing feeling of sitting by a warm fireplace, wrapped in blankets. A far cry from the atmosphere in this place. Their fingers felt stiff with cold, as deeper and deeper they climbed. It was probably only twenty feet or so, but in the dark, and unfamiliar, it felt like it went on for an eternity.

Suddenly, Luigi's foot slipped. With a yelp, the jolting weight of his body pulled his fingers from the rung he had been griping. He fell like a stone.

"Luigi!"

Mario was greeted only by silence, causing a dreadful feeling to swell in his heart, until a rather unsettled voice answered him. "I-I'm alright, Mario...I fell, but-a we were almost to the bottom."

Mario quickened his efforts. "You're not-a hurt, are you?"

"No. Just-a wet."

"Wet?" His question was met with water-filled shoes as he finally set foot on the bottom of the ladder's destination. It soaked right through the leather, causing his socks to feel mushy and clinging. The tips of his overall legs absorbed a lot of the moisture, being made out of jean material, they were not all that unlike a sponge. It made them heavy and uncomfortable. Mario held his arms out in front of him in the dark. "W-where are you?"

"Here," came a miserable voice at his feet.

Bending down, Mario groped and found Luigi's outstretched hand and pulled his sopping wet brother to his feet. "How bad?"

"Soaked all-a the way through."

" _Bello_."*

They stood in silence a moment, listening to the noises around them. The dripping was louder now, and the sound of running water flowed close to their left. "So," Mario's strong voice broke into the darkness. "If you were-a sewer worker, where would-a you put the light switch?"

Luigi thought about it, trying to imagine what he would do if he had been in charge of such a project. "Near the ladder?" he suggested, "So that-a it was easy to reach as soon as-a possible?"

Mario nodded. "Makes-a sense to me." He turned to his right, back toward the ladder, running his hands over the slimy, stone walls. He suppressed a shiver the grime sent through him, hoping that he could even find a light switch under all the gunk. Suddenly, his pinkie brushed against something, and he shifted his weight to reach it better. He was barely tall enough, but, whatever it was, he was certain he could pull it. The thought of pulling an electrical switch with his wet hand made him pause. Being electrocuted wasn't on his list of fun for the night. Removing his wet glove, and drying his skin on the dryest part of his clothes, he reached out again and gave the protruding object his firmest tug. Lights, which seemed almost blinding after the inky blackness, flashed on powerfully, all along the sewer for quite a distance, bringing with it a wonderful relief from the dark.

"Ah!"

Mario spun around at Luigi's cry, his own fears reawakened. "What is it?!"

Luigi pointed off to his left somewhere, trembling but unharmed. He looked a little sheepish, lowering his arm to his side. "Rats," he said simply, embarrassed.

Mario gave him an exasperated look, before it turned into a smirk. "You need a bath, Weegie." His brother was covered in all manner of dirt and grime. His overalls were darkened by the amount of water they had soaked up, making everything sag low, wanting to slide right off of him. Only the straps kept it from doing so. His shirt was just as wet, due to his less-than-graceful fall. His red and white striped socks, which were always at least partially visible, had bunched down around his ankles, sodden with moisture. His hat was crooked, floppy and dirty, and his hair dripped water onto his shoulders, making him the very picture of misery. Mario couldn't help but laugh.

Luigi looked down at himself, holding his arms aside to see better, before he returned the mischievous smile to his brother. "What about-a you? You think you don't-a look like this?"

Mario blinked, scrunching up his nose in disgust at the condition of his own clothes. "Well, I'm not as-a wet as you."

"You didn't fall off the ladder."

"True." Mario turned his attention to their surroundings, noticing with distaste that it was just as gross as he had imagined it would be. As a plumber, he had never minded getting his hands dirty, but this was all out filth. From the curved, stone ceiling to the slow river of moving water to their left, it was nothing but one, long room of dirt, water, and who knew what else. Stagnant pools created pungent wafts, blown by a breeze that seemed to travel the length of the tunnel. At intervals down the way, bare light bulbs burned brightly, but even those couldn't chase all the darkness away. There was only so far that their glow could reach, until darkness reigned again. Mario pointed into the dimly lit distance. "The only way we can-a go is that way." Then he pointed in the opposite direction. "Seeing as that-a way would only bring us further from our shop." He shrugged, noticing the scowl of discomfort on Luigi's face. "Or we could just-a stay here."

Luigi gave a flinch, forcing his legs to start moving down the long, damp corridor. After several yards, the walkway seemed to lift out of the water, becoming dry, but still terribly dirty. It was like a sidewalk which ran alongside a river of slowly moving sludge, an identical walkway opposite them. Once in a while, a railing, bent and rusty, would appear to their right, against the wall, and they took advantage of being able to hold onto something at least moderately solid. Above them, metal piping, no larger than any normal bathroom plumbing, snaked along the ceiling, accompanied by thick, rubber-coated wires. Both were fixed tight to their perch by steel bands, placed there years ago by the architects of New York's early days. Everything was coated in a layer of dust, more like fertile soil, but nothing grew here, were the sun's bright, golden rays could never touch. The only indication that man had been within this place in the last century, was the series of heavy footprints on the ground's thick, dusted floor.

They came to a small flight of rickety, metal stairs, only three steps in all, which went over the base of a concrete causeway, which went across the small river to the other side. Seeing no need to cross, the brothers continued on the side they were already traveling. The walkway began to incline as they went, and eventually a large railing sprung up to their left, protecting them from falling into the river, which was now a good ten feet below them. The opposite walkway had all but receded into the wall, a narrow, concrete ledge being its only remaining element. The tunnel had become smaller as well, the ceiling lowering until, if they had so desired, they might have been able to reach out and touch it. The path took a sharp turn up ahead, and with no other option, they followed it. They left the riverside altogether, now traveling down a long, sloping hallway, made completely out of cement. Very large, gray pipes wound their way against the wall to their right, snugged up against the side and held there by wire tubing and metal clamps. They weren't quite large enough to crawl through, but they were impressive nonetheless. Another, equally heavy looking pipe ran the length of the ceiling, guiding them through the system below the city.

Mario paused beneath the light of one of the many light bulbs, the lighting showing Luigi just how dirty his brother truly was. "This is-a taking longer than I though it would," he admitted, removing his soggy cap from his head and running a hand through his wet hair. By now he was just as soaked as Luigi. He had never really cared much for inclosed places, not necessarily claustrophobic, but certainly uneasy. Luigi could handle it slightly better, but even he felt the walls pressing in around them in this place.

Luigi's voice trembled. "W-We're lost?"

"No," Mario answered quickly, stubbornly. "We just need-a to...keep going." He replaced the cap on his head, eyes glinting in determination as he marched forward again, certain that he could conquer his uneasiness if he tried hard enough. Deep down, Mario wished with all his heart that they had never left the shop. Darn those men and their silly, green pipes! What was the big deal? He and Luigi could have told them to fix the things themselves. Of course, then they wouldn't have been paid. They weren't getting paid anyway. The sewers were completely void of anyone. The two men had never showed up, but Mario was fairly certain they weren't Spike's men. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. It didn't ease his nerves any. He couldn't have turned the two men down. His helpful nature would never have allowed it. He had _wanted_ to help. He had _wanted_ to see what the sewers beneath the city were like. He, in all possible terms he could think of, was a fool. Who in their right mind ever wanted to go down into the sewers?!

His shoes filled with even more water as their surroundings changed yet again. It was still a hallway-like setup, but now the cobblestone flooring was slanted, forming a subtle, V-like shape, with a small river, about three inches deep, running through it. Now too wet to really care, Mario and Luigi just walked right along it, the sound of their splashing footsteps echoing all along the tunnel. To their left, a smaller tunnel branched out, leading off in another direction. The light bulbs, judging by the glow, were set in that direction, leaving the tunnel they were in in total darkness ahead. Seeing no other choice, the two brothers ducked inside, having to bend over slightly as they continued along the cramped space.

Luigi stuck as close as he could without physically holding his brother's hand, though he wanted to. He had started to shiver, not just from fear, but from cold. Chills traveled up and down his spine, branching out over his skin, making the hairs on his arms stand on end. He felt a tickle in his throat, which he knew would develop into a cough eventually. His legs felt stiff, both from the cool, damp air and their run from the foreman's men. He wanted to go home. He wanted to sleep.

The tunnel suddenly opened out into a large, underground chamber. The water spread out over the stone floor, making it slippery, and the brothers held out their arms in an effort to keep their balance. Machinery, extra piping, and work platforms littered the place like a workman's graveyard, and the atmosphere was similar. They felt as though they were on sacred ground. Somewhere where they shouldn't be. Mario slowly inched his way forward, Luigi at his side. There were a few tunnels that branched off from the room, but none of them were lit. All that loomed within them was impenetrable darkness.

Mario gave an exhausted sigh, laying his ungloved hand to his head. He wasn't even sure what had _happened_ to his glove. He must have dropped it after taking it off earlier.

"Mario? W-what do we do now?"

"I..." The red-clad plumber hesitated, feeling all at once very tired. "I think we should-a rest...Then, I guess, we head back." He leaned against a pile of piping, feeling his legs shaking with the effort of holding him up. The pack on his back dug into his spine, and he leaned forward and shrugged it off, letting it fall uselessly to the floor. The minute his back touched the piping, an odd, vaguely familiar sensation traveled up his body. A tingle rocketed through every fiber of his being, causing him to gasp sharply and spring back to his feet, not in pain, but surprise.

Luigi flinched at his brother's sudden movement. "What's-a wrong?!"

Mario didn't answer, instead focusing all his attention on the large, green pipe resting on top of the pile. He held a hand to his back, as close as he could come to reaching the tingling spot that resided there. It was fading, but he marvaled at its persistence.

"Mario?! What's-a- Hey!" Luigi was pulled forward by his wrist as Mario reached out and grabbed him, pulling him closer. Without giving a reason, the older brother lay Luigi's hand against the green piping. Luigi gave him a look of confusion, before he gasped loudly, stumbling away from the pipe. "Yikes!"

"You can feel-a it too," Mario breathed. It wasn't a question. He could see it was true.

Luigi rubbed his arm, as though it had fallen asleep. His eyes were wide, and his confusion was clear. "What is-a that?!"

"I-I don't know...It's...It's what those two workmen wanted us to help them fix." Mario looked down at his own hands, lifting them questioningly. "When-a they came to the shop, they brought a pipe like-a this with them. When I touched it, I felt...that. And yet, it didn't seem-a to have the same effect on them. Almost like they couldn't feel it."

Luigi tucked his quivering hands beneath his arms. "M-Mario, let's-a get out of here...I don't-a like it."

Mario let his eyes wander over the room again, this time his eyes more adjusted to the dimmer light. He spotted several more green pipes, and that realization made his skin crawl. "Yeah...Let's-a go and-"

' _BANG_!'

The loud noise of a pipe falling caused the two brothers to whirl around, backing away from the direction of the sound until they were almost pressed up against the wall.

"Whose there?!" Mario yelled out, trying not to let his fear show in his voice. He didn't quite succeed. No answer came, making him even more nervous. "Hello?! Spike, if that's-a you, this isn't funny!" Still no answer. "Show yourself!"

Two, large eyes appeared in the dark corner of the room, where the bulb's light could not reach. Mario and Luigi tensed, fighting the urge to give a scream. They hadn't anticipated anyone being down here with them, and now that they knew there was, their nerves were just about ready to give out on them. The eyes were unblinking, wide, and, in a way, blank, as though they held no emotion. A low, shuffling sound, accompanied by the eyes growing closer, told them that, whoever or whatever it was, was coming toward them. Scared stiff, the brothers stayed where they were, breathing heavily and hearts racing.

Then, all at once, the creature stepped out into the dim light, causing Mario and Luigi to blink in surprise. The small animal was no larger than a common dog, coming to just above the height of Mario's knees. It was turtle-like, and yet, not. It had a shell like a turtle, and it's texture and coloring was also very amphibious, but that was where the similarities parted. The creature had a sharp, beak-like mouth, something you might expect more on a parrot. It glistened in the light, glinting like the blade of a dagger. It's stubby legs looked much like any reptile's, only it moved them quicker than the slow motion gait of a normal turtle. It walked gracefully, unafraid, now only five yards from the brothers.

Luigi peered over Mario's shoulder. "What...What is-a that?"

"I'm not sure..." Mario leaned forward, crouching as the creature approached. " _Ciao*_ ," he greeted gently in Italian, a language he had always found far more soothing than English. Reaching out a hand, he leaned even further forward to meet the animal's arrival. "What are-a you doing down here? I've heard of alligators in the sewers...but turtles?" He smiled warmly, watching as the beast stopped in front of his hand. It gazed at the extended fingers with emotionless eyes, seeming to look right through the plumber. It was rather unnerving.

Luigi shuddered at its expressionless face. "M-Mario, I don't think-a you sh-"

The creature lashed out at an incredible speed, lurching forward to clamp its scissor-like jaw around Mario's wrist with an audible crunch. Mario gave a sharp gasp, followed immediately by a scream of agony. The shout ended in another gasp as Mario backed up against the wall and his brother, attempting to dislodge the monster free of his limb. The pain was terrible, as though someone were driving a kitchen knife through his arm. Its jaw was like a vice, clamped down and locked, refusing to let go, no matter how Mario tried to shake it loose. Luigi squeaked in panic, moving forward to do his best the get the creature to let go. But it held tight. The more they tried, the tighter it dug its beak into the older brother's wrist. Mario was feeling dizzy with the pain, and, without meaning to, released another strangled yell that echoed all around them. It rang in Luigi's ears, causing him to try one last, drastic attempt. Swinging back his leg, he brought his booted foot smashing into the monster's side. It let go, falling onto its back and spinning a short distance away from the two plumbers. Mario let out another gasp, falling backward against the wall, where he curled in on himself, around his cradled arm. Luigi was at his side, trying to assess the damage.

Mario panted, eyes wide, panicked, and focused on only the turtle-like creature. It lay on its back, legs kicking in the air uselessly. Another wave of pain shot through his arm, and he held it tighter, feeling the warm spread of blood leaking through his fingers. But he didn't give much thought to that. "Luigi! Look out!"

The younger brother spun around, his own panic growing. There, coming at him sideways at an alarming speed, was yet another creature. This was something like a crab, only _much_ larger. It's claws, about as big as average tree clippers, made grating, snipping sounds as they opened and closed menacingly. It came at Luigi's feet, almost faster than the plumber could react. On instinct, Luigi kicked out as he had done for the first beast. He hit it, but it was much more solid than the turtle thing, and retaliated by grabbing the leg of Luigi's green* overalls, just missing pinching the plumber's skin. Luigi yelped, kicking out again, harder this time by shoving the toe of his boot beneath its body. It flipped, legs crackling and creaking as they pawed the air. Luigi didn't wait to see what else was to come. Grabbing Mario and pulling the moaning plumber to his feet, the younger brother forced Mario into a run down the tunnel they had come in through.

"W-where did-a those things come-Agh!-come from?!" The red-clad plumber hissed, trying to hold his aching arm steady as they ran. Each step seemed to jar his limb further and further into agony.

Luigi didn't look back. "The pipes! They're coming out of-a the pipes!"

"The green ones?!" The only answer Mario received was a long string of panicked Italian. He was too pained and frightened to really care where the stupid things had emerged from, as long as they could get away. The sound of scampering feet furthered their horror. The things were after them!

Luigi turned the corner, his natural knack for directions and finding his way aiding him in his mad rush. Mario, whose legs were shorter, struggled to keep from tripping, being pulled by his uninjured arm by his frantic brother. They were back in the V-shaped tunnel again, filthy water splashing up onto their clothes and skin as they ran along the riverlet, regardless of its growing depth. Soon it was ankle deep; why they couldn't say. Perhaps it was raining above ground or something, causing more water to flow below the city.

Suddenly, the still air of the tunnel was filled with a low hum. It started soft, but began to increase in volume quite rapidly. It was like the buzz of many bees...Angry bees. Risking a glance backward, Luigi could see the shadows of something swarming in the tunnel they had just left, cast by the single, bare bulb in that direction. His foot caught on a cobblestone, and he tripped, Mario falling over him with a sharp cry. They scrambled back up, continuing their mad run. Just as they made it halfway to the end of the tunnel, the first of the buzzing creatures rounded the corner. The largest fly imaginable, flying low and emitting an infuriated thrum, it soon overtook them, diving and only just barely missing Mario's head. With a yelp the brothers halted, frightened of what it might do. But they knew more were on the way, which created in them great desperation. Despite his throbbing arm, Mario grabbed one of the smaller, rusty pipes on the wall, giving a frantic tug. It came away with a snap, free of the thin, eroding metal strips that had held it there. The pipe snapped, blackened water and ooze spilling from it, but Mario didn't care. As the giant fly came at them again, Mario swung the pipe like a bat, knocking the creature aside with a loud thump. The brothers didn't even stop to see if it was down for the count, instead, fleeing through the passageways, following the direction they had come before.

Somehow, they managed to stay ahead of the monsters, not noticing when the dreadful hum faded. Too frightened to stop, they surged on ahead, to the very spot they had first arrived at. Frantic, they latched onto the ladder, Mario abandoning his pipe with a loud clang, so he could climb uninhibited. They made it up the slippery rungs, desperation and fear granting them speed, despite the slippery metal beneath their hands and boots. They made it to the top, slamming forcefully against the manhole cover that blocked the way to safety, grating it aside. They scrambled out onto the street, blinking painfully in the morning sunshine. They leaped away from the gaping tunnel, as though they expected it to swallow them whole. A car horn blared. The brothers jumped, running to the sidewalk and out of the busy traffic. They stood there, panting and shaking from excursion, confused and shocked, not only by the nightmare they had just escaped, but because being thrown back into normal society felt oddly surreal.

A sharp pain in Mario's arm reminded him of his injury, and he curled in on himself with a groan, Luigi trying to steady him. People eyed them strangely, and some even a little timidly, unsure whether these two, wild, filthy-looking men were dangerous.

"...Let's-a go back to the shop..." Luigi kept saying, over and over. "Please, Mario...Let's-a go back to the shop..."

Mario nodded shakily, straightening the best he could. Trying to call as little attention to themselves as possible, and not even remotely succeeding, the two plumbers limped back in the direction of their home, nerves raw and on constant alert.

* * *

 ***"Bello." - 'Nice' in Italian.**

 **The turtle-like creature is, naturally, a Shellcreeper, the first enemy the Mario Brothers encounter in the sewers of New York in the arcade game 'Mario Bros.'. The crab-like ones are called Sidesteppers, and are even more dangerous than Shellcreepers. And the fly things are called Fighter Flies. All of these creatures are from the game "Mario Bros."**

 ***Ciao - 'Hello' in Italian.**

 ***Green Overalls - Remember, Luigi wears green overalls, a brown shirt, and green cap in this first game. Mario wore blue overalls, a red shirt, and a blue cap.**

 **I would like to thank my little sister, who has become my Beta Reader for this story! Sis, you're the best!**


	5. Losing

By the time they made it back to their street, they were the center of attention. People couldn't help watching, what with how dirty and exhausted they looked. Not to mention that Mario's sleeve was now dark with crimson blood. The brothers hoped that the bystanders would think it was oil, or grease from the pipes below the city. They were plumbers after all, and plumbers got dirty from time to time. Because Mario's shirt was red, the blood looked less conspicuous. It sort of blended in with the fabric, like a wet stain on its surface. Only Luigi could tell the difference, being close enough to actually smell the pungent, metallic odor of the blood spreading on his brother's arm. Mario, for his part, concentrated on keeping his winces and gasps of pain to a minimum. He leaned on Luigi slightly, but only enough to steady himself. The pain was terrible, and he had to fight the urge to pull up his sleeve and take a look at the injury in public.

"Almost there, Mario," Luigi whispered, his voice still shaky and out of breath. He was doing his best to reassure his brother, without losing his calm himself. The horrors of the night still plagued him, causing fear to shoot through him, up and down his spine and through every one of his trembling limbs. But, for Mario's sake, he'd wait until he knew his brother was out of danger before he allowed himself to be taken down by his terror.

Mario nodded, stifling a gasp as their movements jostled his injured wrist. He was dizzy, his head feeling as though he were floating through space. It might be blood loss, he surmised, or the fact that he was very much in need of sleep. They had spent the whole night running from thugs and monsters. Rest had only come in the form of short pauses for breath. His eyes felt puffy and laden like lead. It was all he could do to stay awake.

Finally, the shop came into view. Run down as it was, it was perhaps the most beautiful sight they believed they had ever seen. Safety and reassurance lived within those walls, both of which they both sorely needed.

"W-Weegie," Mario winced, halting his brother beside the door. "The key...The key is-a in my p-pocket." He struggled feebly to reach into his right pocket with his left hand, finding it impossible, as well as painful.

Luigi carefully supported his brother's side. "I'll get it." Reaching into Mario's dirty clothes, Luigi found, somewhat to his surprise, the key to their shop. He had almost expected it to be missing. After their hectic night, it wouldn't have been unlikely if it had fallen out and gotten lost. But, it would seem, some small shard of luck still followed them. Taking the key, Luigi quickly inserted it into the lock. He gave it a turn and a push, relief filling him as the sound of the light tinkling of the small bell above the door met his ears. Luigi pocketed the key once more, this time in his own clothes and turned to help Mario inside.

As soon as the door shut, and they were safely back in their home, Mario let his act drop. His face contorted in agony as he curled in on himself, clutching around where he knew the injury to be, but unable to touch it because of the pain. It burned like fire in his veins, and he vaguely wondered as to why it hadn't turned to cinders yet, based on how throbbing and hot it was. He definitely had a fever, Mario knew that much. A late night below the city could be at fault for that, but somehow he knew there was more to it than that. It was never good to be bitten by something, even more so if that something was some strange, mysterious creature living in the bowels of the city sewers.

Luigi helped Mario to the wicker chair, one of their few furnishings that hadn't been demolished by Spike's men, getting the exhausted plumber off his shaking legs. Luigi didn't know much about first aid, but he knew enough. He had to. Their low income made it impossible to call for a doctor, since they had nothing to pay him with. Their last few cents had been used on groceries, not having foreseen the coming problems that would follow. Carefully, the younger brother crouched at Mario's side and took hold of the fabric of his bloodied sleeve. It was stiff, like someone had used to much starch in a load of their laundry, and sort of stuck to Mario's skin like some odd, dark, red glue. Slowly, and flinching at every whimper or gasp of pain his brother made, Luigi gently pulled the fabric away, rolling it up so they could finally see the damage.

Mario tried not to faint. He was a strong-stomached man, and had never been at all squeamish, but his ravaged arm instantly sent his guts churning and his head spinning. His wrist was covered in thick, clotting blood. In some places, it almost seemed black; like strawberry jam spread thickly over his arm. Beneath what had dried, fresh blood still flowed, contrasting brightly with the darker part, as well as his deathly pale skin. Luigi could only stare at it for a moment, before raising his gaze to meet Mario's own, pain-filled eyes. They both knew this was bad. More than bad. An injury like this required a doctor, and they quite simply couldn't afford one. It seemed an overwhelming and almost hopeless task. But they couldn't leave the wound as it was, or Mario would surely bleed to death.

Getting shakily to his feet, Luigi hurried to the kitchen, returning with a hand towel and a bowl of water. He dunked the fabric into the bowl, allowing it to become heavy with moisture, soaking up a good portion of the contents of the container. Realizing he had soaked it too much, the younger brother carefully wrung it out until it was only damp. Despite the urgency they both felt, Mario and Luigi were oddly slow and reluctant to get the injury clean, Mario because he was already in enough pain, and Luigi because he was afraid of hurting Mario more. But it had to be done. Luigi positioned himself beside the chair, sending his older brother an apologetic glance before he lay the cold fabric of the wet towel upon the injury.

Mario's reaction was immediate. Stiffening tightly, he shot ramrod straight in his chair, hands gripping the arms of the wicker seat until his knuckles turned white and the furniture creaked. He gritted his teeth, and actually felt a small wave of pride that he had managed to keep himself from screaming. But that was short lived. In order to clean the wound thoroughly, Luigi had to actually work away a lot of the dried blood. He made the mistake of trying to scrub it, but a gasp and a squirm of agony from Mario soon changed that tactic. The cloth had caught on a flap of torn skin, causing an immense amount of pain for the red-clad plumber. Luigi resorted to dabbing the blood, waiting for it to loosen on its own before wiping it away. The bowl of water turned a sickening reddish brown as the soiled and bloodied cloth was rinsed again and again. There was a lot of dirt near the wound, though not as much as there could have been, thanks to the protective sleeve of Mario's shirt. But it was filthy nonetheless, and, though they didn't mention it, both brothers couldn't help but consider the possibility of infection.

Finally, all the plastered blood had been removed, and, for the most part, the fresh flow of blood had slowed. Now revealed to the open air was a nasty cut. Jagged and torn, it stretched from one side of his wrist to the other, layered with painful sections of irritated skin, and framed with what little dried blood Luigi hadn't been able to get. It shined wetly, clear liquid mixing with the slight red that still slowly leaked to the surface.

"That...That looks-a pretty bad...doesn't it?" Mario managed between gasps. His entire arm felt as though it had been skinned. It burned and itched, and tickled were open air hit where it had never been meant to touch.

Luigi swallowed, feeling particularly uncertain of his work. The wound was now as clean as he could get it. Next would be to bind it, he supposed. If he had had the supplies, he might have attempted to sew up the cut, but he couldn't trust himself with something so drastic, and highly doubted that Mario would have been able to handle it at this time. Leaving the room again, Luigi soon returned with two of Mario's clean shirts. He used the first one as a bandage, ripping the fabric into strips before gently, but firmly, tying them around the damaged limb. Once that was done, he helped Mario shrug off his ruined shirt, sliding the straps of his overalls to the side and then replacing them once the older brother finally managed, with Luigi's help, to put on the clean, red shirt. Mario let out a shuddering breath, his body weakened and exhausted from the pain. The brothers sat in silence a moment, staring at the bloodied towel and water that had been used to cleanse the injury, and which now sat a little to the side.

Mario finally spoke up, his voice slow and tired. "What were those-a things?" His mind brought up frightening images of the creatures they had encountered. He knew he wouldn't be able to look a turtle in the face without cringing as long as he lived. Not that that thing had been a turtle, but it was close enough.

"I-I don't- k-know."

Mario turned his eyes to his brother sharply, attention caught by the strained sound in Luigi's voice. "You alright?" he asked quickly, gasping as his suddenly trying to rise was met by a wave of pain. "Agh!...Erh...Y-You're not hurt are you?"

Luigi shook his head numbly with a sigh, his hand rubbing against his forehead, but other than that, he was silent. Mario suddenly saw the situation from his brother's viewpoint. Luigi was not known for his bravery, and had been terrified the entire time they had been below the city. And yet, he had still followed Mario, right into the dangers they had been forced to discover. Luigi, from the moment Mario had screamed in pain, had taken charge. It was most out of character for him; taking the lead. In fact, Mario suddenly realized that, without his brother's quick thinking, they might not have made it back to the surface alive. Luigi had been _brave_. And it shocked Mario, but also filled him with a sense of pride. But now, adrenaline all used up, Luigi was fading fast. The tremors and stress from their situation was all at once being released. Luigi needed some space. He would deal with his feelings in his own way. Just as it was Mario's nature to talk about the things that worried or bothered him, Luigi was always one to bury it deep inside, and work through it there. Mario didn't necessarily agree with that method, but it did seem to work, for Luigi at least. Mario was a little less patient. He wanted to help his brother _now_. Help chase away his fears. Heal the mental scars they both shared from their horror shrouded night.

"Thanks, Weegie."

That brought Luigi's eyes up to meet his own. "For...F-For what?"

"For not-a leaving me behind."

Luigi seemed to wilt further. "I...I-I couldn't have left-a you..." he stammered. "Not down there..."

Mario gave him a weakened smile. "And you didn't. You won against-a the darkness, Luigi." There was a pause. "I'm-a proud of you."

"Mario-"

"No, I really am." That familiar gleam lit up in Mario's face, a smile spreading into his tired expression. "I mean, look what-a you did. You got us out of there, and you fixed-a my arm. I am proud of you." His smile turned to a frown. "But our question isn't answered. What-a were those things?" He tried to picture them clearly, which wasn't easy, seeing as they hadn't had much light to see by down there. They resembled the normal critters that the brothers knew of; turtles, crabs, and flies, but yet they were so drastically different. Much more threatening and dangerous. Larger in size. And what had they been doing in the sewers? Mario had heard a rumor or two about people spotting an alligator in the sewers, but that was mostly myth, probably based on a single incident that didn't carry much weight. But these things he and Luigi had seen with there own eyes. _Felt_ that it was real. The monster had ripped his arm open for goodness sake. There was no doubt in either brother that what they had witnessed was real. It had happened.

Mario yawned, his exhaustion slowly claiming him. Luigi, head still in his hands, had slumped sideways in his chair a bit, his breathing having evened out in sleep. Mario was glad. After a full night without rest, he knew Luigi had to be tired. As he was also. He settled back in the wicker chair, mindful not to jostle his arm, and let his eyes close on their own accord.

Shortly after, the only audible sound within the shop was the light breaths of two slumbering plumbers.

* * *

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Open up, Mario Brothers, I know you're in there!"

The loud banging, as well as the accompanying shout, jolted both Mario and Luigi from their sleep. Nearly falling to the floor, Luigi jumped up, glancing left and right until he became oriented enough to remember in which direction the door was located. He glanced out the window, noticing that it was now late afternoon. The sun was just beginning to set, casting darkness on all but the very tips of the buildings. A shadow, large and menacing, stood outside their door, visible through the plastic wrap and paper they had used to close up the broken glass of the shop. The figure wasn't easy to make out, but both brothers had a pretty good idea who it was.

"M-Mario...?"

Luigi stood undecided in the middle of the room, trembling. Each bang on the door seemed to rock him to his core. Mario slowly eased himself from the wicker chair, a little unsteady, but not in nearly as much pain as before. It was amazing how helpful a bit of sleep could be, especially when one has spent the entire night running from all manner of trouble. He was a little dizzy still, blood loss most likely to blame, but otherwise, he felt pretty good, considering. Mario rolled down the sleeve of his shirt with a wince, covering the makeshift bandage from view. No sense allowing it to be seen, especially by persons who would use it to their own advantage.

"Come on, open up!"

The banging rattled the very frame of the door itself. Mario flinched slightly, moving to stand beside his brother. Both were more than hesitant to even go near the visitor, but, if they didn't let him in, he'd probably force his way in on his own eventually. Mario lay a gentle hand on Luigi's shoulder, giving him a weak, but encouraging smile. Then, in a voice that betrayed nothing about their rough night, Mario hollered.

"Alright! Alright, I'll be right-a there!"

Somehow he managed to sound perfectly normal, albeit, a little angry. How he could sound so calm after all that had happened, was beyond Luigi's understanding. And how Mario could march up to that door without a flinch, knowing who stood beyond it, was another mystery of life the younger brother could not fathom. Mario grabbed the brass knob and jerked it open, the small bell at the top tickling fiercely. Barely had he thrown the door wide when Spike, in all his smirking glory, stepped through, coming practically toe to toe with the red-clad plumber. His belittling eyes bore into Mario's own with a look of triumph that turned the older brother's stomach. Despite the foreman's intimidating entrance, Mario didn't even blanch. He stood firm and solid, just over the threshold, his left hand still griping the doorknob with an intensity only Luigi could detect. It was obvious, both by his stance and his defiant air, that Mario would stay there, blocking Spike's way and keeping the foreman from entering any further.

"What do you want?" the plumber gritted from behind clenched teeth. It gave him a sense of anger about him, though, in reality, he was still just trying to deal with the pain. He stared up into the foreman's face, putting every ounce of his strength into projecting his frustration and anger into the man.

Spike didn't seem bothered in the least. "Oh, come now," he grinned, "Don't tell me you're still upset about the _windows_."

"I am."

The foreman laughed heartily, trying to step around Mario, but the plumber was steadfast. "I thought as much. But seriously, you have nothing to fear. I won't hurt you." His smile told of the exact opposite.

Mario huffed. "Tell that-a to your men."

"Oh, my men were just having a bit of fun," Spike chuckled, his eyes settling on Luigi in the background before returning to the fuming Mario. But then his expression grew far less friendly. "Which makes one wonder what you two were doing out so late."

Mario took a single step back, the unease that flooded him from the foreman's question taking down his guard a moment before he regained his resolve. "That's-a no business of yours." He moved to shut the door in the man's face, but Spike suddenly pushed through with a fair amount of aggression. The bell above the door gave a loud, panicked shake as the foreman forced his way inside, slamming the door shut behind him. Mario backed up, his alarm showing through no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He kept Luigi behind him, arms spread out slightly in a protective gesture. He was all prepared to give Spike an angry speech on private property and whatnot, but the foreman whipped out something from behind his back that made both brothers turn suddenly very pale.

In the foreman's hand dangled a small sack, dirty and wet, but still perfectly recognizable. It was Mario's bag; the one he had brought with him into the sewers. The one he had accidentally _left_ there in their mad rush to escape. It had been filled with a type of sealent, along with a few tools. Mario's eyes betrayed his surprise and recognition before he could help it, and he quickly hardened his expression. But it was too late. Spike had already seen it.

"Ah, so this _is_ yours," he smirked slyly, holding the bag up and watching it twist slightly on its straps. "I thought so. But the question is, what were you doing down there?"

Mario remained silent a moment, staring at the bag as if it were an omen of bad luck. It was like cold water down his back, a symbol, other than the slash on his arm, of the horrors of the night before. He swallowed his discomfort, turning his red-rimmed eyes to the foreman's own. His voice held a tone of dangerous warning. "I said it's-a none of y-"

"My business?" Spike finished, cutting him off. "Oh, I think it is. You see, there's an interesting story going around this part of the city today." He gestured through the plastic covered windows at the fading light of the city.

Luigi, twisting his hands absently in front of his chest, took a single step closer, his eyes also locked on the small bag. His expression was far more open than Mario's, and Spike could read his emotions like a book. "W-What kind of story?"

The foreman smiled knowingly. "Oh, something about a couple of sewer workers running like lunatics into the police precinct, yelling and shouting about some odd goings on down below the city." He shook his head in fake pity. "Creatures they said. Coming out of the pipes. Does any of this sound familiar?" His face lost all humor, and he focused an accusingly pointed glare at Mario's face. The red-clad plumber didn't miss a beat.

"No."

"Well, it should," Spike sneered. "Because your little bundle was found right smack in the middle of where these 'strange happenings' are supposed to have taken place. Coincidence?" He stepped closer menacingly. "I don't think so."

Mario felt his temper rise, not only because the foreman had waltzed into their home uninvited, but because he had a growing suspicion that Spike was hinting that they were responsible for the happenings below. "What are-a you trying to say?!" he demanded angrily, pulling himself to his full height, which wasn't much to be honest. Spike still towered over him. "That we had something to do with-a those creatures?!"

Spike snapped a finger over his head, indicating a light bulb turning on at the plumber's genius. "I am. What else would two, lowly plumbers be doing in the underground labyrinth of New York? Having a picnic?" He stroked his chin thoughtfully, turning his eyes dramatically to the chipped ceiling above them. "Now," he said in a teasing, stage whisper. "I'm curious as to what's so interesting down there that two, penniless paupers would disappear for the length of an entire night. Money? _Treasure_? I can only imagine."

"Spike, we were _asked_ down there!" Mario's voice had gained a tone of desperation. They were in enough trouble as things were. They didn't need the foreman trying to ply secrets out of them that they simply didn't have. They couldn't answer questions because they themselves didn't know the answers. "We were called down-a by the sewer workers! They said that-a they needed some of those crazy, green pipes patched up. They told us to come at-a night. We couldn't find them and then we got lost!"

Spike didn't answer at first. He walked lazily over to Mario's desk, running a finger through the fine layer of dust, before blowing it out from beneath his fingernails. "You know, funny thing is," he said matter-of-factly, "there aren't any green pipes down there, Plumber. Nothing but old machinery. Old machinery and perfectly normal, thin, rusty, _steel_ pipes. My men reported it with their own eyes. So I know you're lying." He stepped toward Mario, fists clenched in a gesture of hostility.

Mario was perplexed, even as he backed away from his rival. "W-What? No, wait...There _were_ green-a pipes! We saw them!"

"Well, they're gone now. I suggest you boys tell me what it is you found down there."

Mario rolled his eyes, dropping his raised arms to his side in frustration, while letting out a stream of agitated Italian.

Spike gritted his teeth, demanding to be answered in English. " _What_?!"

"I said-a all we found was green pipes and monsters!" Mario shouted, his head breaking into a splitting headache the moment the words had left his mouth. He was breathing heavily, and was abnormally pale. "That's-a all!"

Spike glared down at him in silence, threatening the shorter man with just his presence. The atmosphere in the shop was tense. Tensor than it had ever been before. Finally, the foreman's creepy, dangerous smirk returned. "Fine. Keep it a secret. You might as well treasure it. _It's all you have left_." He emphasized the last sentence, drawing it out in a threatening hiss.

Mario blinked, his natural instinct for sensing trouble heading into the critical zone. Something wasn't right. Spike was far too smug. Something was very wrong. "What...What do you mean?" Mario had to force the words out, they had stuck in his throat. He felt a shiver travel down his spine as Spike's grin widened.

"You boys have lost," he announced slowly, tauntingly, as though he wanted it to hurt them more than anything. " _Everything;_ this shop, and every pathetic thing within it, belongs to me now." He reveled in the looks of shock on the Mario Brothers faces, fed by the horror that steadily grew in their expressions. Mario, as the foreman had expected, was the first to recover his voice.

"Y-You can't do that!"

Spike laughed. "Oh, but I can. It's perfectly legal. You see, there are _quite_ a few bills you two haven't paid for _quite_ some time, and the bank and electric company have been _quite_ unhappy about it. They were going to throw you out sooner or later; more likely later, so I just managed to hurry them along a bit. Now they stand assured that this crummy, run-down shack will finally turn them some profit. Once I tear it down and rebuild the future on top of it. It will be a _goldmine_."

Luigi, in his sudden anger, managed to shout without his voice stammering. "This shop belonged to our father! You have no right to take it-a from us!"

"I have all the rights I need. Legally and professionally." Spike marched to the door and swung it open, permitting two policemen into view. "Officers, escort these two men out, if you please. I have a lot to do with this place, and a limited time to do it in."

The two officers nodded, looking stern, but apologetic, as they approached the plumbers, who were backing away like animals in a trap. Mario wasn't done fighting; not by a long shot.

"No! S-Stop! This isn't r-right!" He tried to duck away from the policemen, but one caught his shoulders, keeping him in place.

"Ah, now, come along fellas," the officer drawled, his Irish accent punctuated by the many highs and lows of his nation's tone. "Let's not give any trouble now."

"But we have-a no place to go!" Luigi cried, having also been taken hold of and slowly, painstakingly, pulled toward the open door.

"That's your problem lad," the other officer replied, having a doubly difficult time in managing Mario as he bucked and writhed to get free. "You should not have neglected your bills."

Suddenly, Mario broke from the officer's grip. Lurching forward, he crossed the room in four, quick strides, shoving a ungloved finger just inches from Foreman Spike's face. The horrid man glared at it with contempt, hate and evil intent gleaming in his eyes. But Mario paid that little attention. With all the passion he had ever felt, he released what he knew would be the last words he would ever speak in his father's shop.

"Spike, so help me, I hope some-a-one gets the better of you someday, and exposes you for the monster you truly are!"

On reflex, and so quickly that it made Mario jump, Spike struck out and grabbed a tight grip of his extended wrist. Which just so happened to be his injured one.

"AGH!"

Mario practically say stars, his vision swimming in a world of flashing pain. Spike seemed surprised by his reaction, and, after a moment's pause, pushed Mario's sleeve up, revealing the bandaged limp. Mario saw a look of cruel amusement slip into Spike's face, and, wisely, pulled his arm free of his hold, despite the pain it caused. He glanced down at his wrist, feeling as though a great weakness had just been revealed to his greatest foe. Because it _had_ been. He shifted back a few steps, actually looking at the foreman with an expression of fear.

Spike continued to smile. "I _will_ find out, Plumber," he hissed threateningly, only loud enough for Mario to hear. "I will find out what happened down in those sewers. I'll figure it out, with or without your help. I _will_ know your secret, and I _will_ have it all to myself, just like this _pathetic little shop_."

Mario felt the policeman's hands grip his shoulder, leading him hurriedly and firmly toward the door. With a last, almost frantic final glance at the interior of the shop; his home, Mario sent a glare into the smiling foreman with all the passion he could muster.

And then, he was forced outside.

* * *

 **Whew! Some of that was a little graphic...Sorry.**

 **I'm really enjoying writing this story! ;) Thanks for all your support; every one of you are awesome! ;)**


	6. An Ending and A Beginning

Luigi had never seen Mario so upset. As they had been forced from their own home, Mario had fought and struggled, argued and begged the officers. He had appealed to their understanding, their compassion, and even their sense of justice, but nothing had swayed them. The policemen had seemed saddened by the whole affair, but, for all they knew, these plumbers deserved this. As officers of the law, they had to deal with all manner of unsavory people. Every day they had to haul people off to prison, break up domestic quarrels, catch thieves, and find lost persons. Their plate was very busy, and there came a time when one couldn't listen to their feelings anymore. The law was the law. These two plumbers hadn't paid their bills, so they now had lost their home. The officers only knew their job; make sure there wasn't any trouble. They did so with as much sympathy as they dared, all while hauling a struggling Mario out onto the sidewalk. Luigi had been more compliant, not wanting to cause a scene, while still trying to deal with his shock. Foreman Spike had watched from the doorway, leaning against the frame with a smirk on his face. His eyes had been locked with Mario, shining in dark triumph, reading the anguish and desperation in his rival's own, returning gaze. The policemen had gotten them out onto the street side, finally letting Mario go, blocking the way back to the shop should the plumber make a dash to return there. They needn't have bothered. Mario had stayed right where he was, his expression one of emotional agony and a burning hate. Luigi had never seen that in Mario before, and it scared him.

The officers had informed them that they could not return to the shop at any time, seeing as doing so would be cause enough for arrest. Whether they legally could do that or not, Luigi didn't know, but he wasn't about to find out. Giving the two policemen and Spike a parting look of hurt and fear, Luigi had taken a hold of Mario's arm and led him away from their business. From there home. Away from what few comforts they had ever had. It might have been run-down, musty, moldy, and forgotten by most of the world, but it had been home. It had been a place of safety, and memories. Memories of their father, who had worked his fingers to the bone, scraping together every cent he had, so that his two sons could survive in America. So that they could carry on the work their father had put so much time and effort into establishing. And now, after years of labor, sweat, and tears, it was gone. All gone.

Luigi had led Mario away. Far away so they didn't have to look at it. This was going to be hard enough. They had ended up sitting in an ally, several blocks from the shop, and, as the sun began to set, that was were they now remained. And Luigi had never seen Mario so upset as now.

The older brother sat upon a worn and soggy cardboard box, hands clutching each other between his knees. He was stiff and tense, ready to snap under the emotions that were running through him like electricity. He was angry, mostly. He was angry at himself for letting something like this happen. He had tried so hard, he really had, but what else could he have done? They were plumbers. Unneeded plumbers. It wasn't their fault they couldn't make a living. Or was it? Why couldn't things have just been easier? Better? His father had come to America to fulfill a dream, and it had turned out to be a nightmare. Who would hire them now? Two plumbers who had experience in absolutely nothing else? They were virtually useless. They had no way of owning a shop without money, and how could they earn money without the supplies needed to work? Mario reached into the pocket of his worn and dirty overalls, pulling out one, medium sized, hand-held wrench. The only tool of the trade they still owned. Mario gazed at it, looking at the groves and edges, designed for the work of a plumber, ensuring that it did its job effectively. If only they could be so finely destined for their purpose. And what was their purpose? To forever struggle through life, earning what little pay they could. What kind of existence was that?

Mario held back the constricting feeling in his throat, the sob catching there and making his chest hurt even more. With a loud clatter that rang through the alley like a gunshot, Mario dropped the metal wrench to the solid, stone ground beneath his feet. Luigi jumped at the noise.

The younger brother stood in front of Mario, on the other side of the wall. He had not sat down since they had been evicted, a sort of fight or flight feeling filling him so that he felt crowded in on all sides by their mounting problems. The darkness was growing, and, after a night like the one before, Luigi wasn't very keen on staying anywhere that even remotely reminded him of the sewers. But Mario was deep in a depressive state. More so than he had ever been. Luigi wanted to leave the alley, but he also didn't want to leave Mario there alone. And he certainly didn't want to move his brother until Mario was ready. And so he stood there; watching sadly, once in a while sending looks of fear around them as the sun set and darkness fell completely. A cold chill filled the air, a breeze whipping through the alley mercilessly. It brushed against Luigi's face, pushing through his clothes and onto his bare skin beneath it. He tried to keep his teeth from chattering, but, with each moment that passed, he grew colder.

Mario too felt the change in temperature. He began to shiver as well, each tremor causing his injured arm to ache fiercely. He was afraid to look at it, not that he would have been able to see the wound in the darkness anyway. But, knowing how serious it had been, he hesitated to check its condition. He and Luigi were, by no means, equipped for such hurts as that. In the plumbing business the most serious injures might be a small cut against a rusty pipe, or a bruise or two. Mario distinctly once remembered Luigi hitting his head on the underside of a sink during one job, stunning himself and leaving quite a lump, but that hadn't been serious. That had been the standard hazards of their job. Plumbers just didn't get torn up by strange, turtle-like creatures every day. And not being able to afford a doctor made matters worse. What if the thing had been poisonous? Or had rabies? For all Mario knew, he could be dying at that very moment, and would had no idea it was happening. Then what would happen to Luigi?

The thought seemed to snap him out of his deep sorrow, and focused his mind more on the problems of survival at hand. He looked up, noticing how dark the alley had become for the first time. He blinked, trying to see around him. After a moment, his eyes picked out Luigi's silhouette from the dark backdrop of the wall. His brother was still standing, rocking slightly from side to side, teeth chattering so loud Mario wondered how he hadn't heard it before now. It warmed his heart. Luigi might not be the bravest man alive, but his loyalty was unequaled by anyone Mario had ever known. He had stayed with him, despite the dark and cold, and the fears that were doubtless preying on his mind, and yet Luigi hadn't spoken up or complained. He had simply stood there and waited. Waited for Mario to come to his senses.

Without a word, Mario stood, crossed the distance between them, and enveloped his brother in a firm, desperate hug. Whether it was for Mario's own benefit, or his, Luigi would never know, but after a moment, the younger brother returned it full force. Mario wasn't usually the embracing sort. This, now, only proved how lost Mario was feeling. And Luigi could completely relate. He knew what it was like to feel alone and afraid. But Mario had always been with him through those times, and Luigi had every intention of returning the favor.

After several moments, Mario pulled away gently, wiping a hand over his eyes, trying to hide just how much this had all effected him. "We need-a to find shelter," he surmised, looking around himself for the first time in hours. It was a suggestion easier said than done. Without money, they could not pay for a room, but they might be able to find some kind soul willing to give them a place to stay in exchange for a little bit of work. Plumbing might be just about all they were good for, but they were able bodied men. They could lift, carry, move, just like any other person. Surely there was someone who would take pity on them.

"B-But where will-a we go, Mario?"

Luigi slipped his hand into Mario's like a frightened child, ready to return home to comfort and safety. Only there was no home. Not anymore. Mario winced at how cold Luigi's fingers were, which only made him more determined to find somewhere to spend the night. What was it with this crazy summer and its cold nights anyway? Griping Luigi's hand in return, Mario led them out onto the main street, heading for the part of town where the shops and businesses gave way to homes and residents. They would start there. Mario's optimism was returning, always having been hard to keep down for too long. He was still angry, and hurt, and frightened, but there was still one thing he had that Spike could not take from them, and that was each other. The two brothers were close, and they would remain close. They would get through this together.

No matter what.

* * *

Optimism was a slippery concept. Like walking a tightrope. It was so easy to fall, trip and take the plunge down into despair. And that was a fact of which both brothers were now very much aware. They had spent the good first half of the night knocking on doors, offering their services in return for some shelter. A third of the people claimed they had no room, their rooms filled to the max, disregarding Mario's assurance that they would gladly sleep on the floor if need be. Others just looked at them; their dirty appearance, and sneered, saying that if they wanted to live somewhere they should get a job. The door would then be slammed in their faces. The remaining number of persons were sleeping, and didn't even come to the door. If the plumbers persisted, someone might come to the window and threaten to call the police. One woman even dumped a basin of water out the window. Luckily, Luigi had seen it coming and had pulled Mario out of the way. It would have been bad to be stuck out in this weather, soaking wet. It was bad enough that Mario's arm had started to grow stiff and numb, though he kept that bit of information to himself. He didn't want Luigi to worry.

And so, eventually, they ended up in yet another dark alleyway. Both were exhausted, cold, and increasingly hungry. They had not had anything to eat since two days prior; since before the incident in the sewers. Their stomachs felt empty, growling loudly in protest of their lack of nourishment. They were beginning to feel a bit lightheaded, Mario especially. Probably had something to do with all the blood he had lost. That couldn't be helping things at all.

Luigi had developed a nasty cough, which he claimed had started down in the sewers the day before. But now, what with the cold and a certain amount of dampness in the air, it had grown to a harsh, breathtaking wheeze that worried Mario greatly. They were both staggering on their feet now, looking more like a couple of drunks than anything else. It was just that they were so tired and worn. Too much had happened these last two days. Too much to effectively process. Half of it was almost impossible to process at all. Mario and Luigi felt confused and frightened, dowsed in a level of intense sorrow. Now, even more so.

Mario sat down on a crate in the alley, scooting over slightly to allow Luigi a seat beside him. "You'd think that there would be kinder people out-a there," he observed sadly, subconsciously hugging his arm closer to his body. It ached terribly. Luigi noticed, but thought little of it, seeing as, of the moment, there was nothing they could do about it. He too was feeling the crawling grip of depression growing within him. The wind blew by once more, nearly knocking the plumber's cap from his head.

Luigi shivered, leaning into Mario for what little warmth resided there. "I-I'm cold, Mario..." He would have done almost anything for a blanket by this point, his toes and fingers now so chilled that they refused to move the way he wanted them to. So much for a warm, pleasant summer. Cold air from the north could be brutal, even during this time of year. And at night, with the air full of moisture, it only made things worse. The younger brother pulled his sleeves down, covering his hands with the fabric to try and keep them warm, but that only pulled the material down from his neck, exposing skin there that found itself out in the cool, open air.

Mario's heart sank. "I know, Weegee," he sighed soothingly, placing his own hands under his arms and pushing down on them. But the motion made his wrist sting and he gasped lightly, untucking that hand and letting it rest limply in his lap. A sort of fog had started to sweep through the empty streets, giving it a distinctly haunted look. Mario decided quite quickly that they shouldn't stay in one place too long. Moving would not only keep them warm, but would, hopefully, keep them out of the way of any unpleasant persons roaming the streets as they were. "Let's-a rest a moment, then we'll try again."

There was a moments silence in which the two brothers stared down at their feet. Both found themselves thinking of their warm beds back at the shop. It wasn't fair that they had lost their home, but it was even more so in that they hadn't been allowed to fetch their belongings. Not that they had owned much, but there were a few things that might have been useful. Mario felt a twinge of regret at having discarded his wrench. It might not have been anything important, but it was the last material object he still owned. Luigi was thinking of the finances that had led to their plight. Surely there must have been some way to pay those debts off. Maybe they hadn't tried hard enough. Maybe there was still a chance they could pay the bills and get the shop back. No. No, that was a useless hope. The shop was lost. Now that Spike had it, there was no way they would ever get it back. So that left them right where they had started. Where would they go?

"Do you think anyone will let-a us in?" Luigi asked hesitantly, breaking the silence between them. "It's almost-a daylight. Is there really any point in-a trying?"

Mario sighed, gearing himself up to standing back to his sore, aching feet. He wished he could give Luigi all the encouraging words he could think of, but the problem was, he couldn't think of any. "Luigi, I-"

"HELP! Somebody, please!"

The shout shattered the stillness of the alley like glass. Both brothers leaped to their feet, looking left and right to try and detect from what direction the plea had come.

"Oh, HELP! I need help, please!"

Mario took off down the way, running despite the slipperiness of the alley's cobblestone street. He followed the call for help as though he had been made to answer it. He skidded around the corner onto the main road, Luigi right behind him. He would have kept going, if the voice had not yelled out again right above him. Mario jolted his head back, gazing up at an apartment window, which was currently occupied by a very frazzled, middle-aged woman. She wasn't a pretty sight, her make-up smeared and her hair full of numerous, spiky-looking hair curlers. Her face was covered in some kind of mint-colored lotion, all except the area directly around her eyes. If Mario had not heard her speaking, he might have mistaken her from another frightening monster from below the city. He blinked, gathering himself before cupping both hands to his mouth and yelling up to her.

"What is it, ma'am?! What's-a wrong?!"

The woman looked down at him, flapping her hands in distress. They must have been wet, seeing as little droplets of water rained down from her fingertips, one or two hitting Mario on the nose. He wiped it off distractedly, squinting up at the open window as the woman practically hung out the opening, momentarily blinding him with the glow of lamplight. "I can't turn the water off in my bathtub!" she cried, panicked. "It's flooding my entire apartment! HELP!" She kept glancing behind her, as though something were sneaking closer and closer, about to ensnare her.

Mario blinked, finding the irony to be strictly cruel. All this time they had been looking for jobs, and as soon as they were evicted from their home and business, here was an opportunity to do their occupation to its fullest. Another thing that struct him was how ridiculous it sounded. Couldn't she just reach over and turn of the facet? And what was this crazy woman doing taking a bath so early in the morning? It sounded like some distasteful joke fate had decided to play on them; tease them with. But Mario could see that the woman was truly distressed, and he had never been one to turn down a call for help. Exchanging a quick look with his brother, Mario saw Luigi felt very much the same way.

"We're plumbers, ma'am!" he called in answer. "We can help! We'll be right up!" Looking downward, under the window, Mario spotted a fire escape. The woman's window was on the forth floor, which, thankfully, the structure reached. He knew Luigi wouldn't be to happy about the idea, he had never liked heights, but this was no time to cater to small fears. Mario moved forward swiftly, testing the strength of the fire escape's first ladder with his booted foot. It rattled an awful lot, and a bit of rust showered down from above them, but otherwise it seemed sturdy enough. Squaring his shoulders, Mario stepped up onto the first step, then the one above, pausing in between each one before trying the next. He had only gone three steps and his arm was killing him. It still felt oddly numb, but now, with the strain of climbing, it was starting to burn. A warm sensation under the bandage told him that it had started to bleed again. Great. Just what he needed.

"Mario..."

The older brother felt a hand rest against his back. Without looking, he knew it was Luigi. The taller man was still on the ground, eyes wide and continence stiff and nervous. Mario expected him to refuse to follow, or to say he'd wait behind until Mario returned. But all Luigi had to say was, "B-Be careful." Mario nodded, continuing up and feeling slightly surprised when he felt Luigi join him on the ladder and follow.

It was a painful climb for them both; for Mario because of his injured arm, and Luigi because of his anxiety of falling. The fire escape proved to be far more rickety than it had looked. Sometimes it swayed slightly, old rusty screws turning in their holes within the side of the building. It was noisy, and clumsy, as though it had been built ages ago by a bunch of lazy architects who had simply put it there for decoration. Either way, Mario and Luigi tried to ignore the structures various creaks and groans, climbing at a steady pace until, finally, Mario was able to haul himself up onto the woman's bathroom windowsill.

" _Mama Mia!_ " were the first words out of his mouth as his eyes took in the scene before him. When the woman had said her apartment was flooding, she had not been exaggerating. A good two feet of water had pooled throughout the bathroom, the tub an overflowing cascade on all sides. The door the the room was open, though was raised, leaving the bathroom in a sort of lowered pit. It was keeping the majority of the water inside, though Mario knew there had to be plenty escaping under the cracks in the floor. He lurched forward, heaving his legs over the sill and setting himself down on the floor with a splash. He was instantly soaked, though, for a moment, the warm bathwater was a relief compared to the nearly frigid world outside.

Luigi's head popped over the window opening, his eyes growing as wide as saucers as he took in the unusual sight. "That's a lot of-a water!" He crawled in and landed by his brother, his clothes darkening with the amount of moisture.

The woman, their damsel in distress, was standing in the middle of the room in all her frightening glory, wrapped in an unusually rough-looking bath robe. She was still flapping her arms in panic, blathering on and on that she didn't know what to do, and that she needed help. The sound of the water rushing from the facet was quite loud, and Mario found he had to shout over it to be heard. "Where's-a your shut off valve?!"

The woman turned to him, like he was an idiot. "It's in my basement!" Her hard glare turned to grief as she returned to bemoaning her misfortune. "Oh, goodness me! What ever shall I do?!" She stood knee deep in water, shuffling from one foot to the other, doing nothing but whine.

Mario began trying to move forward. For him, being as short as he was, the water reached as high as his upper thighs. It made it hard to move at all, and there seemed to be an odd sort of current to the flow. In fact, it seemed pretty impossible. How in the world was the thin, aged floors beneath their feet able to hold so much water? Mario pales slightly when his mind offered him the answer. It shouldn't. The floors could give at any moment. And yet, even then something wasn't quite right. The feeling of the room was odd, surreal. Wrong. There was a certain uneasy feeling about the place. The woman seemed normal enough, but everything else didn't. It felt like...like when they had stumbled across that secluded place in the sewers. Where everything had seemed just so normal and real, that it wasn't.

Mario shivered involuntarily. He finally made it to the tub-side, struggling against the amount of water that poured from it. He sent a glance of annoyance over his shoulder at the panicking woman. "Well, for one, you can go get more help! Get-a some neighbors to start bailing out the water into the street!" He watched as the woman headed out, stepping up onto the raised step into a long wooden hallway. Her bare feet made pattering noises, fading until the two men were left alone. The water was rising quickly, and it wouldn't be long before it reached and then overflowed the step and drizzled into the rest of the apartment. Mario peered through the muddied water, vaguely wondering when the woman had last cleaned her bathroom. He was having trouble seeing what lurked beneath, and he tripped over a few items, one of which resembled a very wet, bloated shower rug. "There's-a so much," he growled in frustration. "I can't-a see the faucet! Ah, I wish I had my wrench!"

Luigi, who had followed him, dug a hand into his pocket. "Here!" He pulled out Mario's wrench, handing it to his bewildered brother. The look on Mario's face alone was worth it.

"Wh-?...Luigi, where'd-a you get that?!" he exclaimed, holding the tool like a long lost charm.

"I grabbed it when-a we left the alley! I figured you might-a want it back!"

Mario nodded, a genuine smile lighting up his face before he turned to the task at hand. He took the wrench in his right hand, leaning against the tub in a way that might enable him to reach the valve. But his arm was beginning to hurt more than ever, feeling like fire were tearing through it. It was bleeding still, he could tell; the bandages were heavy and soggy, and not from the water around them. He had made an effort until now to keep it clear of the liquid. But now, as he reached forward with the wrench held in his injured hand, the water closed in around it as he reached, and a terribly agony shot through him as warm water seeped through the bandages and entered the wound. "Oops! Agh!" He stumbled back, arm held firmly to his chest in an effort to put out the flame-like burning.

Luigi jumped at Mario's cry, moving closer in case it was something he could help with."Y-You alright?"

"It's-a my arm!" Mario hissed through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry, Weegee, but I need-a your help! You have to come closer!''

The younger brother hesitated momentarily, fighting his own qualms of safety and anxiety. "O-Okey dokey..." He took a step closer, but then froze, becoming as still as a stature. His eyes widened, and his face turned a sickly white. He all at once started trembling, so hard it sent ripples through the churning water. He lifted a shaking hand, pointing a finger to the far wall. "M-Mario! _L-Look_!"

"What is-a-" Mario also froze. His breath caught in his throat, as did the words he had been about to speak. He could only stare, a feeling of terror running through him, but finding that he could not seem to fully react. It was as though all heck had broke loose within him, but outwardly he had been petrified solid. Calm. Disbelieving. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, the water crisis around them completely forgotten, until finally he managed to force the words out in a breathless, and almost painful question. "W-What's _that-a_ doing here?!"

For there, sticking out of the wall at knee height, just level enough with the water that it had begun to seep into it, was a large, green pipe. It stood out like a sore thumb, and no matter how much Mario tried, he could not recall seeing it when they had come in. He would have noticed; he would have noticed it immediately. The shock finally registered in both plumbers, and they stumbled back a few steps, fear evident in their very expressions. The dark, gaping maw of the pipe threatened them, and all they could think of was the monsters that had emerged from them before. Mario gripped his injured arm to himself, as if afraid that, if he didn't keep it close, he might lose the limb altogether.

Luigi shook his head in horrified disbelief. "It wasn't there a minute ago!" He was certain. Absolutely certain.

"Well, it's-a there now!" Mario's answer was panicked, and did little to calm his brother's nerves. They practically clung to each other, staring in open suspicion and unease at the structure before them. It was far larger than the ones they had seen before. They could have easily slipped inside. But they were determined to do no such thing. Suddenly, from deep with the pipe, came a gargling sound, like the bubbles rising in an office water cooler. It was low and far off, but easily heard, even over the rush of the still flowing tub faucet. Then, gradual at first, but then gaining strength, water began to current toward the pipe, like dust into a vacuum, disappearing into its depths. The two brothers watched in anxious curiosity, staying as they were, until they suddenly began to feel the pull themselves. The current was growing abnormally strong, and yet the water wasn't lowering. It was as though the water coming in equaled the amount going out into the pipe. Luigi could feel his feet, somewhere beneath the water and debris, slipping on the hidden tiles of the floor.

"M-Mario, its-a sucking everything in!" The words were hardly out of his mouth before a sudden, wave-like sensation pushed a tremendous amount of water out of the faucet, filling the room to a new height. Water was definitely flowing all through the apartment at this point; their feet were barely touching the floor anymore. Luigi let out a yelp, caught in the current that all at once seemed very intent on dragging him down the great, gaping pipe.

"Mario!

The shorter plumber could not reach at all, but, thankfully, he had been close to the tub, managing to latch onto its side to prevent himself from being taken away by the flow. He leaned out as much as he could toward his brother, completely ignoring his arm. "Grab my hand!" he shouted over the din of gushing water and draining pipes. The current was growing stronger, pulling him, trying to pry his fingers from his only place of security.

Luigi was swimming now, fighting against the current. And with very little success. The pipe felt as though it were widening to accept him in, and Luigi fought harder. He was so close to Mario's extended reach, but yet he still could not quite make the distance. "I...I-I can't!" His voice carried horror and panic, two elements that sent Mario into further tactics of desperation.

Stretching out his limited form as far as it would go, Mario stretched his arm out further, the muscles threatening to cramp with the strain. But he didn't care. The thought of losing his brother was far greater than any physical pain he might endure. "Hold on!" He lurched forward, at the same time Luigi did, and for a moment, their fingers locked. A jolt of relief traveled through them, and for a moment they smiled. But then, as though in slow motion, Mario's grip slipped, throwing him forward into the very current itself. Luigi gripped onto him in terror, letting out a horrified squeak. The current dragged them to the pipe's large, dark mouth, pulling them closer and closer by the minute. Mario, Luigi with him, latched onto the pipe's open rim, fighting at the entrance to keep their bodies from being sucked inside. The water in the room was draining visibly now, and soon the pipe would have claimed all the water, all they had to do was hang on long enough to-

There was a terrible scraping sound, beneath the water, but loud and rumbling. Both brothers frowned, looking left and right to try and determine from where the noise had come. And then they turned even more pale, if that was at all possible. The great, heavy tub, which up until now had remained stationary, was all at once being slowly dragged across the floor, beckoned by the amazingly strong current. It was headed right for them, slowly, but with an awful lot of power behind it. The tub would never fit into the pipe, but its solid surface was headed straight for the two plumbers fingers. With shock, both realized that, if they didn't shift their position, their hands would be crushed between the pipe and the bath. Shifting positions was impossible, they were barely hanging on now. Mario's arm was throbbing, becoming so numb he no longer truly felt it. Luigi yelped at the approaching tub, both boys knowing they had to make a snap decision. As the tub grew steadily nearer, gaining speed as it did so, Luigi let out a whimper, flitting his gaze to Mario's own. Coming to the same conclusion at the same time, both brothers let go simultaneously, just as the bath smashed into the pipe's rim.

"MARIO!"

"LUIGI!"

Mario reached out and grasped his brother as they descended into darkness, determined that, wherever this pipe would lead them, they would at least be together. With a final gurgle, loud and frightening, the room was relieved of nearly all the water, carrying with it, into the unknown, two, Italian plumbers.

* * *

The woman returned, pails in hand and with five of her closest neighbors. They rushed into the room, panting and eyes wide, prepared to see a disaster. But then they froze, faces betraying their utter confusion. The room was bare of any furnishings, other than the tub, which had scrapped across the floor to the far wall, where it stood steadily, though terribly crooked. All the water was gone, all but a few small puddles. It was as though nothing had ever happened, other than the missing items, like the floor rug and the shampoo, which were nowhere in sight. The woman blinked, a blush of embarrassment warming her cheeks. She could have sworn that the water had been at least two feet high. All that remained as proof that there had been any flooding at all, were the grimy streaks of dirt that snaked across the tiles, all heading in the direction; to a spot directly behind the tub. But as far as anyone could tell, there was no where the water could have drained into in that area. Where had it gone? And, most curiously, what had happened to those two, kind men who had offered to help?

* * *

 **This is my version of how the plumbers get to the Mushroom Kingdom. The Mario universe is very inconsistent. One game says that the brothers were born in the world of Mario, while others say they were born and raised in Brooklyn. Some say they're twins, but most say Mario's older. Even the various character names change, like Princess Toadstool/Princess Peach. When writing Mario, you get to pick and choose which facts you like and discard the ones you don't. That way, each of our worlds are drastically different.**

 **I used the idea from the cartoon, that said the brothers were sucked down someone's bathroom tub's drain. Now, that sounded really lame. So I had to come up with a way for that to actually happen in a way that was a little less cheesy. Hopefully, I succeeded to some degree. ;)**


	7. A World Unknown

The first thing Mario became aware of was that he was very sore. It broke in on his unconsciousness, pestering him until his eyes slowly fluttered open. A bright light shone into them, making a headache burst to life inside his skull, sending it pounding loudly in his own ears. He went to bring up his hand to his forehead, but a pain erupted there as well, sending fiery tendrils of agony shooting up his arm and into his entire body with a violent jolt. His eyes snapped open again, this time despite the light that offended them. He sat up with a gasp, his lungs aching as though it were the first breath he had taken in ages. It jostled his arm, hurting it more, and he tightly pulled it to his chest in an effort to ease the throb. After a moment, Mario looked down at it, worry etched in his expression. Gingerly pulling up his sleeve, he found there was a wound, wrapped snugly, but bleeding through the bandages. The skin that was visible above and below the injury was bruised, a mixture of unhealthy yellow and purple. He gazed at it for a long while, his mind a complete blank. He couldn't for the life of him remember where he had gotten the injury, or why he was soaking wet. His mind rushed, trying to recall the smallest of details to try and orient himself.

He had been...helping someone. Water. He was soaked. He had been...helping a woman...with her plumbing...Then there was...something...Something that frightened him even now...It had been a...A pipe!

Suddenly, it all seemed to rush back to him. The creatures in the sewers, Spike evicting them, helping the woman, and that huge frightening pipe. That unnatural opening that had swallowed him and Luigi-

"Luigi!" Mario's voice sounded oddly thick in his own ears, sending him into a coughing fit, in which he coughed up a fair amount of water. He struggled to his feet, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. He pulled himself up, steadying against what appeared to be a large, thick tree, Mario managed to keep his balance, letting out another cough before yelling out again. "Luigi?! Where are-a you?!" He received no answer. Only silence, other than the twitter of far off birds. Blinking hard to try and restore his blurry vision, the plumber began to take in his surroundings.

He was in a glade, green and lush with vegetation. The grass was long and soft, as though it had not been trodden on in years. Maybe never. It swayed gently in the wind, tickling at the legs of his overalls. The air was sweet with the smell of sun, dirt, and grass; a hint of some strong perfumed flowers adding to the sense of tranquility and quiet. Large trees loomed over him, blocking out a substantial amount of sky...But then, they weren't really trees he realized. Squinting in confusion before widening his eyes in surprise, Mario saw that they were mushrooms. Huge, enormous mushrooms, some as tall as oaks, while others, young and small, reached no higher than his knees. He pushed away with a start from the one he had been leaning on, looking up into its frilled underbelly. Its smooth surfaced body snaked down into the earth, steady and unmoving. As solid as any normal tree. Realizing that this was not natural, Mario focused his attention a little further away. Mushrooms sprouted as far as he could see, literally creating a forest of fungi, colorful and well shaded. And yet the place seemed full of light. The sun's golden rays seemed to shine through the large plants, making them glow slightly in a beautiful, iridescent manner. The sight nearly robbed Mario of his remaining breath.

"This is not-a New York!" he declared, mouth agape, and eyes wide, taking it all in. His mind snapped back to attention, his headache subsiding a little now that he was back on his feet. His arm still burned like fire, but right now he had more important things to worry about. "Luigi! Come on, answer me! LUIGI!"

"M-Mario...?"

The voice was weak, confused, and further away than Mario would have expected it to be. Moving on unsteady feet, the plumber moved to the right, stumbling through the tall grass that came up to at least his thighs. It tripped him up a bit, wrapping around his boots as he went, so thick it took actual effort to walk. Still holding his injured arm, he picked his way forward carefully. To fall would be very painful, not because the ground was hard, but because falling would jar his wounded limb. And he was in no mood to deal with that. He was in enough pain as it was, and he didn't want to be slowed down any more by his own weakness.

After a moment of fumbling, and calling out every once in a while, Mario very nearly stepped on his brother, who was lying sprawled on his back in the grass. His body had pushed the greenery down, damaging them, creating an area of flattened grass. Mario had come upon it so quickly, it was only a sudden jerk of his leg to the left that saved him from clomping down on Luigi's side.

"Luigi!"

Luigi winced at his brother's uncomfortably loud voice, emitting a soft groan in protest, but making no move to get up. He was dizzy, and had a headache that only made that fact worse. He was pretty sure that if he even tried to move, he'd greatly regret it. His stomach was churning, probably from how the world around him felt like it was swaying to and fro, and, after having not eaten in quite some time, that only made it more pronounced. His mind was foggy, and, like Mario, it took him a good few minutes to remember all that had happened. He opened his eyes slowly, looking up at his brother as Mario came to kneel beside him.

"You okay?"

Luigi nodded, immediately wishing that he hadn't. The world took another sudden twist. "J-Just a little d-dizzy...You?"

Mario sat back on his heels, placing his good hand against his forehead. He vaguely noticed that he had lost his plumber's cap. His hair was still wet and limp from the water in the pipe. "Same." He didn't mention that his arm felt as though someone were burning it with a hot poker. "Do...Do you remember what-a happened?"

Luigi blinked slowly, still staring up from his prone position on the ground. "We...W-We got-a sucked through that pipe...You were there..." His voice held a little relief when he said that, a sort of residual feeling left over from when it had actually been happening. Most of it was fuzzy. Luigi remembered swallowing a lot of water. And gripping Mario the best he could. The water had thundered through the pipe, getting in their eyes, and ears, and noses; dragging the two men along with it at a fantastic rate. Slamming against the sides had produced bruises that both brothers were only now just beginning to become aware of, and their lungs had hurt as, time after time, the current had pulled them under, robbing them of breath. But that was it. He couldn't remember anything else. "I-I guess we passed out," he surmised shakily.

Mario nodded numbly. He too couldn't remember anything beyond the wild ride in the terrible, green pipe-way. He remembered how scared he was. How dark it had been, with no way of knowing, other than by touch, if Luigi was still with him. He had been far more worried for his brother's safety than his own.

The red-clad plumber looked about them uneasily. His eyes kept drifting up toward the ominous mushrooms that towered over them. "This...This place isn't like-a anything I've ever seen..." He winced, pulling his injured arm closer. He was starting to shiver, though certainly not from the cold. The air around them was warm; bright and sunny, with a gentle breeze that whistled through the frills of the mushrooms. It wasn't a good sign that he was shuddering. He was in a lot of pain, and it was getting harder and harder to hide it.

Luigi seemed to sense the tenseness that had taken over his brother's body, and, slowly easing himself as carefully as he could manage, Luigi sat up. His head instantly gave a pounding protest, and he gasped, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose, where the dizziness was most concentrated. After a moment, the feeling passed, and, with a shuddering sigh, he lowered his hand and looked to his brother. And frowned. Mario was shivering visibly, his wet hair hanging over his eyes as he focused on the ground, staring into space as he seemed to be trying to pull himself together.

"Mario?"

The red-clad plumber startled, looking up and meeting his gaze with a jolt. The motion jarred his arm and he gasped, gritting his teeth in an effort to stop himself from releasing a string of choice Italian phrases. The edges of his vision darkened threateningly for a moment before clearing back to normal. "It's...I-It's nothing, Luigi. It's-a just - Ah!" He flinched as Luigi shifted to gently take his bandaged wrist. "Ahh...My arm," he managed to croak. Luigi inspected the injury with a sense of anxiety. He reached forward to take hold of the bandage, to undo it and take a proper look, but Mario shook his head and carefully pulled his arm back. "We had-a best keep it covered," he inhaled shortly. "Don't want it-a to get infected." Even though it was more than possible that it already was.

Reluctantly, Luigi nodded, sitting back on his own heels, mirroring his brother's pose. "What do-a we do now?"

Mario looked about them again, eyes trying to focus on the glade itself rather than the giant mushrooms above, which Luigi was only just noticing. "We need to find that pipe. It should take us-a back to where we were before." He struggled to his feet, secretly grateful when Luigi assisted him. Once standing, he felt a little better, and was steadier than before, most of his dizziness having passed. He looked his brother over quickly, making sure Luigi hadn't been hurt during their unexpected ride down the innards of that terrible bit of plumbing. Luigi seemed a little bruised, and he kept rubbing the back of his neck, but, otherwise, he seemed fine. "Come on, Weegee," he encouraged. "Let's-a go."

The two men made there way through the tall grass, stumbling and shifting as they went, trying not to trip and fall. Luigi kept a hand on Mario's back the whole time, in case he lost his balance and fell. Luigi hoped his hold on Mario's overall straps would be enough to spare him that agony. They wandered about, trying to locate the green pipe that had brought them to this strange place. The very air seemed different, and not just because it was country and they were from the city. And it wasn't even the great, looming mushrooms. It was the very essence of the place. The way it felt against one's skin, and moved in and out of one's lungs. As though it was energized by far more than they had ever felt anywhere else. Everything was so bright and colorful; new and clean. Like a world untouched by man. It was calming, and tranquil, though that did little to settled the nerves of the two plumbers. No matter how hard they searched, they could not find the pipe. All that existed was tall grass and mushrooms, catching the sunlight in perfect peace. Mario even found a trail of flattened grass where he had, apparently, been deposited from the pipe and had rolled to the spot he had awoken in. But, even then, by following that trail, it led to absolutely nothing. It was a dead end. The same went for where Luigi had awoken.

They moved further and further into the forest, all the while disbelieving that they could have tumbled so far from the pipe, and yet, no matter how far they went, there was no sign of the thing. It was as though it had disappeared into thin air, leaving them behind. But Mario refused to accept that. Leading the way, hand cradled against his chest, Mario was quickly becoming more and more panicked. Luigi followed his example, whimpering slightly at each turn they made that only made it more and more apparent that the pipe was nowhere in sight. They kept going, making their way through the darkening mushroom forest. Light cascaded down toward them, becoming finer as the sun slowly began to set behind the horizon line.

Set?

Mario paused in confusion, checking to see that, yes indeed, the sun _was_ setting. In New York it had been early morning. Had they really been unconscious for that long? Just how far away from the city were they? His questions were met in his mind with only silence. A terrible silence. He wanted so much to understand what was happening, but nothing was providing them with any answers. Just more questions. More questions and more worries. And so he did what he saw as the only sensible thing. They kept walking. They were bound to come across someone before too long, and then they could figure out where they were, as well as the shortest route back to the city. As they went, the brothers took in the unusual sights, talking softly, as though afraid to shatter the peaceful scenery around them.

"Where do you think we are, Mario?" Luigi asked, looking up at a particularly large mushroom, even for here, towering above them like something right out of the prehistoric era. It was at least three or four stories tall, bulked in a way that made it seem inadvisable. He had never heard of any plant, other than a tree, growing to such an impressive scale. And it truly baffled him.

Mario carefully stepped over a fallen mushroom, which lay right across their path, partially hidden by the tall grasses. It was old, and not terribly big; rotting like any normal tree would. It didn't smell, other than the faint scent of moist, decaying loam. "I don't-a know, Luigi," Mario answered uncertainly. "But we will. I promise." And promises were something Mario never made lightly. He trod ahead, confidence in his step that he didn't feel in his heart. He was feeling more and more confused, and more and more agitated. He knew that their life back in New York wasn't much at this point, but it was still home. It was where they belonged, and they needed to get back. They just had to.

Luigi nodded, shifting his eyes downward as he also stepped over the fallen fungus. He regarded the object with a sense of disgust and wonder, scrunching his nose at it when he saw that it had a series of rotting slime beneath it, slowly eating it away. "Don't you think these things are a bit...big?" He indicated the mushroom with a hesitant gesture, as though he were afraid to hurt the inanimate object's feelings.

Mario glanced above them again. "Yeah...Way too big." Like any Italian, he liked mushrooms sitting atop a good, warm pizza; or nestled deep within the cheese of a filling lasagna. But this was a little much, he had to admit. As far as he knew, mushrooms just didn't grow that much under normal circumstances in America. Under normal circumstances _anywhere_. It was unnatural. But also beautiful. It almost made it feel like they were in another world. Mario shook the thought from his head, regarding it as nonsense. He huffed a little as they began climbing up a grassy hill. It was moderately steep, luckily; he didn't feel he'd have been able to handle anything more. His muscles had started to protest loudly, complaining of the beating he had taken in the pipe. And yet, Mario's curiosity was very strong. Always had been. The world he was seeing around them was filling him with a sense he had never experienced before. He paused a moment, taking in a few breaths halfway up. He waited for his brother to catch up, who appeared just as worn out as he felt. "You know, Luigi...This-a place feels...strange..."

"How?"

Mario shrugged, beginning to move on once more, taking one step after the other, arm still held in his hand. "I don't-a know. It's like...like everything's much clearer. More...real. Like I've-a been asleep all my life and-a now I'm awake." He gave Luigi a slightly embarrassed look. "It's just a feeling, but I-" He suddenly cut off, coming to a complete standstill at the crest of the hill, right beside a large cluster of two-story high mushrooms. He let go of his arm in shock, both limbs coming to hang limp at his sides as he stared straight ahead, as though all his energy had been stolen from his very being. He was in total awe and surprise.

Luigi, who had been a few steps behind, ran into his brother with a grunt, stumbling back at Mario's solidity. "Oof! Hey! M-Mario? What are-a you-" But his voice died out as well as his eyes followed that of his older sibling, overcome by the scene that spread before them. His breath caught in his throat, eyes opening wide to nearly twice their normal size.

They stood on the crest of a large hill, which stood at the very edge of a much larger hill. In fact, on the opposite side, it was more like a mountain, sloping down into the healthy land below with gentle grace, filled with more enormous mushroom forests and a deep, blue cove that slipped off into the distance; the sea. Then the valley swept back up opposite the plumbers into a series of high-peeked formations of rock and foliage, unlike anything they had ever seen. The setting sun had turned the sky a brilliant red and orange mix, with bits of maroon that stretched out into eternity. Great, majestic shadows spread out from the landmass, shrouding half the valley in a sweeping bluish grey. But that was not what caught their main attention.

Below, nestled into the side of one of the taller mountainous formations, stood a castle, shaped and lighted as if it had been cut right out of a fairy tale book. It's whitened stone sides, even from that distance, gleamed into the light of the setting sun, turning it a rosy hue. It's tall, capped steeples, decorated with banners that fluttered in the wind, were the perfect example of medieval masonry. There was no mote, that could be seen, but what appeared to be a large staircase moved gently down the slope, turning into a pale dirt path. The path snaked its way down the side of the mountain, until it reached patches of thick, red-capped mushrooms. It wound its way through them, splitting off at points, much like the streets in New York, only less organized. And yet, as the sun slowly began to lower behind the landscape, blips of light began to flicker into existence within them, revealing them to be more than plant life, but homes made within the vast trunks of the fungi.

All in all, the sight was truly breathtaking. But it did more than that. From this vantage point, Mario and Luigi could see for many miles, stretching off into a hazy horizon without end. Faded mountain ranges, hidden valleys, and winding rivers could be seen, going on to what looked like the very edge of the world. There was no New York in sight. No tall buildings, no hotels, and no busy streets. Nothing modern. Nothing that even remotely resembled normal civilization even existed for as far as the eye could see. For the first time, the brothers realized just how far they had been carried.

And for the first time, they wondered if they'd ever get back.

"That's...That's a long-a way down," Mario commented, leaning forward slightly to peer over the steep incline before them. He didn't have the heart to bring up what he was really thinking. He felt the bottom drop out of his stomach as Luigi answered his words with stuttering question.

"W-Where's-a New York, Mario?! I-I don't-a s-see it!"

Mario's anxiety quickly escalated, stirred by the panic in his brother's tone. He knew Luigi was a very sensitive sort, and these past few days had been a lot for him. Heck, they had been a lot for him! But they couldn't afford to break down now. Not out here in the middle of who-knows-where. It would be dark in a matter of minutes, and he didn't think it would be good for either one of them to spend yet another night out in the elements. "I-I don't-a know, Luigi! Just...Just calm down! We'll get out of-a this, you'll see." He had lain a hand on Luigi's shoulder, trying to force his words to hold more effect, but it didn't work. Luigi, pale and frightened, pushed his hand away, stepping back, his eyes wide and gaze flitting between his brother and the valley far below them. He had reached his tipping point.

"M-Mario! We're lost! We don't-a even know where we _are_! _Cosa stiamo andando a fare?!_ *" He launched into a long tirade of shivering Italian, so fast and jumbled that even Mario couldn't catch it all. He sat down on the hard ground, curling in on himself, completely overwhelmed, head held between his hands, muffling his words even further. Mario crouched beside him, sighing and speaking in Italian himself, trying to ease his brother's hysteria. He gestured with his hands, as he always did, wincing when it pulled on his injured wrist. But he ignored it, on the verge of being overwhelmed himself. This was not what they needed right now.

"Well, that's a bunch of gibberish!"

The strange voice was unexpected, coming from behind the brothers, causing both of them to startle terribly. Mario and Luigi gasped, jumping to their feet and turning, all in one frantic movement. They hadn't expected to meet anyone here, after hours of wandering without seeing a soul. The forest had even been void of living critters. They hadn't even seen a squirrel, or bird, though they had heard a few slight chirps that indicated that they were present. But the voice of a perfectly capable intelligence had been far beyond anything they had been expecting. And what they saw froze them to an even higher level of shock.

Two creatures, only slightly shorter than Mario, stood posed in a stance of threatening uneasiness. Mario's heart leaped in his throat, finding that they closely resembled the monsters in the sewers that had torn his wrist. At least, in that they were turtle-like, but the similarities stopped there. These two were far different, in both appearance and feeling. For one thing, their eyes did not stare blankly into space like those in the sewers had done. These eyes held intelligence, and the fact that they had spoken proved that, at least to some degree. Another observation of note was that they stood on two legs. They both wore green fabric shoes, though most of that was hidden in the tall grass. Upon their heads sat what looked almost like helmets, whether for safety or uniform purposes, neither brother could tell. A turtle shell clung to their backs like armor, looking very sturdy and protective. They stood there, eyeing the brothers curiously, but also with a strong underlying sense of suspicion.

The bigger of the two swung out a hand toward its partner, slapping it up side the head with an angry hiss, eyes glinting dangerously. "Now see what you've done!" he scolded angrily in a snarling tone. "We were trying to sneak up on them and you just had to open your big mouth and give us away!"

The other rubbed his head ruefully, staring down at his feet in a mix of indignation and defense. "Well, it _was_ gibberish! You heard it!"

Mario stepped slightly in front of Luigi, shielding him despite the fear that had gripped his own soul. Flashes of memory of the sewers flooded his mind, and his mouth went dry. He had never been so scared in his life as he had been that night, though now was becoming a close second. His eyes fell to the hand of the first, more aggressive creature, noticing that he was armed with a crude-looking hammer-like object. It was made mostly of a grey, stone head, tied with green vines to a carves shaft. It looked bulky, and clumsy, and not in the least bit sharp, but no less effective. It was what it might be 'effective' _in_ that made Mario nervous. They resembled something crossed between the war hammers of the dark ages and the clubs of the bygone days of the caveman. Both disconcerting traits on any weapon.

"W-Who are-a you?!" he found himself shouting, his accent even more pronounced in his fear. It didn't come out half as forceful as he would have liked, and the creatures at once fixed their large eyes upon him, making Mario even more nervous. "And w-what-a do you want?!"

Both creatures grinned at one another, exchanging knowing glances as if at some hidden joke. Brandishing their weapons and taking a menacing step forward, they became far more predatory than before. Small though they may be, they looked stronger than their size suggested. And Mario had learned his lesson in outer appearances since their escapade in the sewers below New York. Involuntarily, Mario took a step back, bringing Luigi with him. The more leader-like of the two gave the two brothers a fake smile that sent chills down Mario and Luigi's spines.

"Oh, you needn't be afraid of us, small _humans_." He spat the word oddly, a strange look coming into his eyes at the word. His expression became curious, but still equally hostile. "We won't hurt you...What we want is simple. We want you to come with us. Our King will be very interested in... _meeting_ you."

Mario looked over his shoulder a moment, catching Luigi's frightened gaze before turning back to their visitors. "We'd rather not...If that's-a all the same to you. We're lost...We're trying to get-a back home. To the city." He wasn't sure why he even bothered telling them that. It wasn't like they would care. But his anxiety was making him think irrationally, blowing on the smallest flame of hope that maybe, just maybe, they would tell them how to get back to New York.

The creatures looked confused, before that confusion turned to dark frowns. The smiles had left their faces, and their hands had now tightened around their weapons with evil intent. What little had existed of their pleasantness had died away, leaving only scorn and cruelty.

"You are coming with _us_ ," the first insisted, again taking a threatening step toward their prey.

At a closer range, Mario could see that, like the monster that had bitten him, these had curved, beak-like mouths. It had been too dark to see them before, the sun having now almost left, leaving most of the land in shadow. A little light still remained, but only just barely. His heart plummeted as the creature pulled a long, strong looking rope from behind him. Whether he had been hiding it all that time or if he had taken it from his shell, Mario didn't know. And he didn't care. Pressing himself and Luigi back a few more steps, he fixed their attackers with a glare that he had used so many times on Foreman Spike. "No! Leave us alone!" It was the best he could come up with at the moment, feeling that each step the creature took was making their chances of survival that much more endangered. But, despite his warning, both were now advancing on the brothers, smiling evilly in the falling darkness.

Luigi gave a whimper, edging as close to Mario as he could. He was trembling, afraid that, like the monsters before, would strike unexpectedly. He had no wish to be bitten by anything with a beak even half as large and sharp as those these creatures possessed. He edged back, pulling on Mario gently. He was afraid that his brother would rush forward, and try to fight these things off. Which, in all likelihood, was probably exactly what the red-clad plumber was planning, scared as he was. Luigi didn't want Mario being hurt any more than he already was. So he edged back a bit more...Then let out a loud cry of shock. With a sudden stumble, he found that he was no longer standing, but tumbling down the steep slope of the other side of the enormous hill. Rolling and bumping against the ground, gaining speed with each passing second. His brain suddenly realized that he had stepped right over the edge of the hill's crest, causing him to fall right off.

And the cry of surprise and pain beside him told Luigi that Mario had been taken with him.

The two creatures gave a grunt of surprise, blinking at the now empty ledge, before they both released an angry snarl. Stowing their ropes, they gripped their hammers, jumping of the ledge in pursuit. They managed to keep their balance, surfing the dirt, leaving a trail of dust billowing out behind them. Their eyes glinted in the dark, fixed upon the two humans ahead of them.

The fall seemed to last forever, as though they had fallen into some bottomless canyon. Mario was barely conscious, the constant somersaulting and rolling having caused more pain than he had ever felt to shook through his arm and up into his upper body. He could barely breath, his stomach lurking dangerously with each turn his body took. He wasn't even sure what had happened, but he didn't appreciate the sensation at all. His thoughts still on his brother's safety, Mario tried to gain control of his fall with minimal luck. Then, all at once, he had stopped moving, having landed on his back with a force that knocked the wind out of him. He lay there a moment, feeling dizzy, as if he were still falling, coughing weakly. He felt someone take a hold of him, and he kicked out, thinking it was the enemy. He heard a gasp as the hands let go, before Luigi's wheezing voice brought him into a slightly better focus.

"It's-a me, Luigi! Come on, Mario! We have-a to get up! They're coming!"

Again the hands latched onto him, and this time Mario didn't fight them. He allowed himself to be jerked to his feet, doing his best to try and stand himself. His legs felt brittle, like uncooked spaghetti, and his entire arm and side was numb, but he managed to get his body working enough to get moving again. His vision was blurred, so he had to rely almost completely on Luigi's guiding hand as they raced off into what appeared to be a continuation of the mushroom forest.

Luigi forced every once of his remaining energy into propelling him and his brother forward. Behind them, reaching the bottom of the slope just as the brothers reached the fringe of the forest, was the two creatures, who were sending angry shouts in their direction. With a sudden turn to the right, Luigi tried to move at a faster pace, feeling guilty when Mario let out an agonized gasp. But they couldn't slow down. The whole situation reminded him terribly of their experience in the sewers, making him wonder if all these circumstances might be connected. Not that he had time to really think that possibility through. He could hear the heavy footfalls of the enemy behind them. No...In front of them!

Pulling up short, Luigi gave a start as another creature appeared before him, coming at him at a run. This one was slightly smaller, and less threatening, having smaller shells and no weapon in hand to be seen. But an enemy was an enemy, and Luigi wasn't going to hang around and see what it wanted. He lurched forward, this time to the left, racing along with renewed desperation. It was becoming harder and harder to make Mario keep up, seeing as he was barely even with it any more. Luigi had to change his direction three more times, creatures popping up in various places in front of them unexpectedly. It slowly dawned on the younger plumber that the first two's shouts had not been directed at them, but rather had been the call to alert their fellow companions. Luigi was beginning to tire, his every turn met with yet another creature in pursuit.

And then Mario fell.

He dropped like a stone, without so much as a shout or cry. Luigi was jolted backward as his brother lost consciousness and fell to the ground in a heap, the pain in his arm and body having become too much for him to bare. Luigi tried to lift him back up, but Mario was limp, and a moment later, it didn't matter. Creatures had surrounded them in seconds, each leering at them with anger and curiosity. Luigi pulled Mario to him protectively, trembling so hard his teeth made an audible clacking sound. As the creatures with the hammers came closer, breathing harshly after their run, Luigi shrunk further into himself.

"Heh," the first spoke, slightly out of breath, but smiling in his victory. "You two are fast...But not fast enough." He came forward again, rope in hand once more.

Luigi's eyes widened. He glanced down frantically at his brother, hoping and praying that he would come to and handle everything. Mario was braver than he was, and had been in a few fights. With him awake, they might have had a chance. But now, as the creature approached, Luigi realized that that wasn't going to happen. Mario was completely out. He wouldn't be waking up for quite some time. Something within Luigi gave a sudden twist. He felt his panic turn into something stronger, something he couldn't quite explain. But it instilled in him a feeling of strength and determination. His face went from one of fear to one of serious defiance, to an extent that would have put Mario's own scowl to shame. He waited until the creature was almost upon him, before Luigi did something he never would have imagined himself doing before.

Luigi pulled back his leg and kicked the creature as hard as he could.

The enemy gave a startled yelp, stumbling back into his hammer-wielding companion, sending them both sprawling. The smaller critters gave cries of startlement, pulling into their shells like their turtle counterparts. Luigi took his chance. Gripping Mario tightly, he shifted his brother onto his back, pulling himself to his feet and taking off once more. Part of him wanted to laugh at what he had done, while the other half was still in shock in that he had tried something so hazardous at all. He felt momentarily spit over it, as though he couldn't tell whether it truly had been him in the first place, making him slightly disoriented. The feeling only lasted a few moments, however, and soon Luigi was racing along just as frightened as before.

Mario wasn't, by any means, light, but he was a good deal smaller than Luigi, at least in height. Carrying him might not have been easy, but it was possible. Luigi kept him on his back as he ran, stumbling along as his adrenaline began to simmer down to a tired exhaustion. He was beginning to feel his energy leave him again, his moment of bravery spent. He began to slow, the angry shouts behind him adding no speed to his legs. He couldn't go on any longer. Oh, well. At least he had tried.

But then something caught his eye through the thick stems of the mushroom forest. Stone...But not just any stone. Cut, stacked stone. A wall of stone. Praying that it belonged to a place filled with friendlier folk, Luigi put every ounce of all he had into the remaining thirty yards between him and the structure. As he neared it, he saw a huge, arched, wooden door, castle-like in design. It was a fortress, or gate, but it didn't matter as long as it could give safety. Unfortunately, it was closed, but torchlight above on the parapets told Luigi that there were people up there. It might be another long shot, but he had no choice.

As he broke the cover of the forest, with just a few stone throws to the gate, Luigi began to shout at the top of his lungs. "Help! Help, open the gate! Please! We're being attacked! Please, help!" He ran right up to the gate, pounding on it with one hand while balancing Mario on his back with the other. He could hear the creatures in the forest, coming ever closer, their shouts far more angry than before. They hadn't taken kindly to his trick, and were now even more hostile in their intents. Luigi threw himself at the gate with even more fervor. "Please! Just let-s us in!" He gasped when a hammer, thrown from behind him, hit the wood, just barely missing his head. "PLEASE!"

He closed his eyes, fully expecting to be grabbed and beaten to a pulp by the horde on monsters that hounded them. But then, with a creaking groan, the great wooden gate shifted, opening just enough for multiple hands to reach through and take hold of him. Stumbling in through the structure, Luigi heard the gate slam shut behind him, he and his brother now safe inside. With a nervous laugh, Luigi felt his head grow light, and a moment later he was on the ground, Mario on top of him, unconscious.

* * *

 ***"Cosa stiamo andando a fare?!" means: "What are we going to do?!" in Italian.**

 **Wow! That ended up being really LONG! But that's alright. I just couldn't make myself quit in the middle of all the action! ;)**


	8. Escape

"Ugh..."

It is never fun to wake up after being unconscious. Especially if you have experienced the sensation more than once in a single day. It's a drowsy feeling, one that turns your stomach. It pounds in your head, refusing to let you escape its dark claws that try so hard to keep you under its control. But it can never hold you forever, and so, at some point, you finally awake. But no one ever said it was a pleasant thing.

Mario groaned, trying to roll over, but finding that doing so hurt an awful lot. He moaned, louder this time, catching the attention of someone sitting in a chair in the corner of the large, carpeted bedroom. The figure rose hesitantly, gliding across the thick carpet in a spectral manner, and edging just a bit closer to the four poster bed that the groaning figure restlessly occupied. He was clothed in a faint, lavender purple; much of which consisted of cloak-like fabric, wrapped about his body in a way that covered him completely. Even his feet, fabric draped around them, were nearly invisible. Atop his head was a turban-like cap, also purple, but adorned with bright, golden images of stars. All that was visible of his actual body was the upper part of his face, where two dark, piercing eyes studied Mario with curiosity and suspicion. Thick brows raised in question, watching as the plumber slowly regained his senses.

Mario winced as his mind slammed back into his body. Half of him felt numb, while the other half, the half he could feel, was punishingly sore. Bruises covered him on every side, darkening his bare arm in great splotches of black, blue, and purple. His head ached, though not as much as he might have expected. His vision blurry, it took a minute for him to realize that his red shirt had been removed, having been replaced with a colorful vest. It was made of what felt like red cotton, and trimmed with gold-colored strips along its edges. That explained why he could see all the bruises, and cuts, that now covered his skin like a rash. Mario could feel under the bed covers that he still had his overalls on, thank goodness, though the straps were no longer on his shoulders, but laying uselessly at his sides.

Blinking, the plumber let his eyes wander above him as he lay on his back, breathing somewhat laboriously. The structure above him confused him momentarily, until he slowly began to realize that it was a part of the bed he was laying in. Four, spiraling posts rose at each corner of the mattress, curling up to support an ornately decorated canopy. It was heavily built, but firm so that it would not collapse and crush the sleeper below. It was draped with curtains and long, decorative ropes with tasseled. Pictures of odd creatures danced and moved along the decorations, seemingly celebrating something that he didn't quite understand. Mario gripped the thick, velvet sheets in his hands as he started to take in the rest of the room. The walls were of wooden paneling, carefully carved with more images that seemed to dance around the room. But in some places it had been covered with an almost fabric-like wallpaper; deep maroon in color and calming in its own way. Enormous, maroon drapes lined a large, latticed, bay windows to his right, letting in a golden glow of sunshine.

Mario tried to rise, slowly pushing himself into a sitting position with the covers bunched up around his middle. "W...Where am I?"

"Is our visitor confused? Yes, he is."

Mario startled at the voice, whipping his head around to the part of the room he had not yet seen. There, leaning toward him not six paces to his left, stood a figure, clothed almost all in purple, other than the stars that decorated his cap and the small part of his face. Mario's first instinct was to crawl backward in surprise, to get as far away from the creature as he could. He had met several lifeforms from this mysterious place already, and none of them had been friendly. Why should this one be any different? With a yelp, Mario scooched backward, giving a sudden gasp when it proved more painful than he had been expecting.

The cloaked creature glided swiftly forward, its arms, which had emerged from within its clothes, waving in distress, trying to calm the plumber down. "Easy! Will it hurt to move? Yes, it will!" It ventured closer, pointing out Mario's aching arm. "Is my patient badly wounded? Yes, he is. Should he stay motionless? Absolutely."

"Ugh...Y-You're a doctor?" Mario asked, trying to gain control over his sudden pain. Now that he was keeping still it wasn't so bad, but his whole body on that side still felt rather numb, though not quite as numb as before.

"Am I a doctor? Yes, I am."

Mario looked up at him, taking in the stranger more closely. He was very small, at least half of Mario's height, though the large dome-like cap aided in that last several inches. The plumber realized for the first time that he had a small, white bird perched on his shoulder. Its dark, bead-like eyes looked at him blankly, cocking its head from side to side in curiosity, in much the same way its owner was. Mario took a deep breath, steadying his pounding heart. "Where am I?" he asked again. "And-a who are you?" He could feel the creature smile beneath its hidden face, even though he couldn't see it.

"Who is the one who has treated your wounds? It is I, Doctor Toadley of the Mushroom Kingdom. Is that where you are now? Yes, it is." His eyes became more serious, shifting back down to Mario's arm. "Would my patient permit me to take a look at his injury once more, to make sure that it is healing properly? I hope so. It is grave. Very grave."

"W-Wha..." Mario flinched as the fellow came closer, out of habit now, but chided himself for it. This doctor...Toadley, was it?...was only trying to help. He hadn't become hostile in any way yet, and he didn't look like he was going to any time soon. And Mario did feel awful uncomfortable, the pain and numbing making him rather nauseous. He hadn't even noticed the thick bandages that were wrapped around his limb, blending in with his unusually pale skin. The least he could do was cooperate. "O-Oh. Sure, go ahead."

Doctor Toadley came nearer, his hands carefully taking hold of the bandages that confined the injury snugly. His brow lowered in concentration, glancing up at the young man's face with a hint of concern. The human was biting his lip, staring down at his arm with great unease, though Toadley could not tell whether it was the wound itself that was bothering him, or the doctor's touch. Refocusing on his task, Toadley spoke up in an attempt to keep the boy's mind distracted from his discomfort. "Does Doctor Toadley know the name of his unusual patient? He does not." He waited a moment, as the young man seemed to process his question.

"Mario."

"That is a strange name, is it not? It is."

Mario gave him a look, as though to say that it was _he_ who had the strange name. And the strange speech. The fellow seemed to ask and answer his own questions. Mario wasn't sure if he found it funny, or annoying. He frowned. "Not where I come-a from-Ah!" Mario flinched back as the bandage was removed, pulling slightly against his damaged skin despite the doctor's care. His eyes watered, scrunched tight until the pain subsided. He opened them slightly, looking down at the injury, then opened them wide as he stared in shock at the mess that was his arm. It was bruised and irritated, a jagged tear through his flesh that he had almost forgotten how bad it was. The skin around it was almost white; a shade he had never seen it.

"Was the injury infected when you were first brought here, and I treated you?" Toadley intoned seriously. "It most certainly was. Gravely infected, and a danger to your very life." He reached forward, taking a roll of fresh bandages from a tabletop by the bedside, carefully re-wrapping the limb. It stung, but the doctor's gentle touch made it more bearable.

Mario tried to clear up his foggy memory. He remembered bits and pieces of things, but they were all very mixed up and unclear. Like all a part of some long, faded dream. Or nightmare. And yet, here he was in a strange place, being cared for by a creature that was quite obviously not human. Mario glanced around the room again, more quickly. "How...How long-a have I been here?"

"Almost a full day and a night? Yes, that would be about the right length of time." He cut off the excess bandaging, tucking it so as to make sure it would not unravel after he had finished. "Your companion was in better shape then you," he commented casually. "Is he better? We shall s-"

"Luigi?!" Mario felt his heart speed up painfully, his panic suddenly very strong. How in the world could he have forgotten Luigi?! His own brother! His brain must be fried, having dealt with unconsciousness twice within the last forty-eight hours. That couldn't be good for one's mind; passing out so much. Even as he thought it, a few more memories fell into place, and he slowly began to realize that it had been Luigi who had gotten them away from those monsters in the forest. Though, to be truthful, he couldn't actually remember making it. He must have fallen, leaving Luigi to fend for them both. Apparently, Luigi had managed to get them...wherever this place was again.

Toadley nodded slowly, as though some great mystery in his mind had been solved. "Is that his name? We are unsure, for he will not speak to us."

Mario struggled to pull the heavy covers off his legs, turning slightly to try and get out of the bed and onto the floor. His body protested loudly, fiery aches spidering all through his arm and side, but he ignored them, his mind set on only one thing. "Where is he?! Can I see him?!"

"Whoa, now!" The doctor grabbed a hold of the young man's shoulders, and despite his small stature, Toadley was able to keep Mario pushed down against the bed. The plumber was far too weak to give up much of a struggle, and stilled, breathing heavily. "Can Mario leave this room to see his friend? He cannot," the doctor warned sternly. "Not until the King has proclaimed otherwise."

"King? Let me speak with him! I have-a to see Luigi!" Mario struggled once more, again finding it useless. He let out a frustrated sigh, looking up into the face of the mysteriously dressed physician. His expression was one of anger, but also fear and desperation. Doctor Toadley saw it, and his face softened just a bit.

"Will Toadley rush to tell the Mushroom King of Mario's request? He will." He released Mario carefully, hands outstretched toward his patient as though he were a dog performing a trick. "Stay here." He turned, gliding toward the great, dark, oaken doors that filled almost the entire left side of the room. He opened the door with the bronze rings attached to it, closing it behind him with a resounding _boom_.

That sound sent a shock wave of finality through Mario, and he suddenly felt even more trapped and anxious than before. The fact that he couldn't leave sank in, filling his heart with dread. He hated being closed in. He hated not knowing where Luigi was, and whether he was alright. Finally succeeding in kicking the blankets off of himself, Mario leaped to the carpeted floor, stumbling on unsteady legs, almost falling. He tripped and faltered, finally coming to rest against the door's oaken side. Grabbing a bronze ring, he gave it the biggest pull his limited strength permitted him.

The door didn't budge.

The young plumber gave a frustrated cry, banging his uninjured fist against the wood, shouting at the top of his voice. "Wait! Wait! Let-a me out here! Please, I need to-a see Luigi!"

* * *

"M-Mario...?"

Luigi's voice wavered uncertainly, his heart pounding in his chest as he took in his new surroundings. The room was richly furnished, some cross between a fashionable, medieval bedroom and a well-stocked library.

He had awoken in the gentle embrace of a soft mattress; much softer than anything he and Mario had ever owned back at the shop in the city. They had never been able to afford such a luxury. Carefully, and on tip-toe, Luigi crept slowly over the carpeted floor of his room, bare feet sinking into the soft rug that stretched thickly from one corner of the bedroom to the other. Someone had taken his socks and shoes and shirt, though, luckily, had left him with his overalls. They were still slightly damp, but he wasn't chilled, due to the fireplace that blazed in the side of one wall. Luigi's eyes scanned the many shelves that stretched far above him on one wall, countless numbers of books, all of earthy colors, creating almost a checkered pattern that reached up to the ceiling that perched at a dizzying height. Sunlight streamed through the windows, filling the room with a golden glow, the mountains visible in the far distance outside the windows themselves.

Luigi came forward carefully, reaching out to touch a book on one of the lower shelves. He had always liked reading, having spent a fair amount of time in the libraries back home when he was little. Though Mario was far better at reading English, Luigi still did fairly well. The book wasn't dusty, like he had expected, and was instead clean and tidy, as though everything had just been swept. It was old, its cover scratched and worn, from years of use. Maybe even generations of use. He held the book, opening it, eyes full of curiosity. It was in an odd language, one that he didn't recognize. It was long strings of strange symbols, crissing and crossing all over the page in a sort of organized chaos. It intrigued Luigi, and he stared at it intensely, flipping through page after page. His mind tried to decipher it, in vain. He was so intent on the book's yellowed pages, that he failed to hear the great, oaken doors slowly open and close behind him.

"Greetings."

With a yelp, Luigi jumped, the book flying up into the air. He fumbled to catch it, stuttering nervously as he finally succeeded, glad to see that he had not ruined the old volume. He slid it hastily back into the slot from which he had pulled it, coming to stiff attention, facing the newcomer. His eyes widened, and, without meaning to, he took a few frightened steps backward, positioning himself behind a small, cushioned chair. "W-wh-who are-a you?!"

The creature before him was very small, almost half as tall as Mario, and even more so compared to Luigi himself. It looked almost mushroom-like, in that it was shaped similar, with a tan cap with dark, brown spots. Its legs were practically non-existent, nothing but little, balled feet sticking out from beneath his rounded body. The creature seemed wary, but polite, sporting a nervous, yet friendly smile, which was mostly hidden beneath a large, white mustache. Small spectacles perched on its distinctly absent nose. Its eyes were black and shining, filled with kindness, but also a certain amount of suspicion, which was reinforced by the fact that it stayed close to the door, lest it should need to make a hasty retreat. His clothes consisted of a purple waistcoat, fastened with large, golden buttons. A red bow tie rested beneath its chin, adding a distinguished manner, as did the white mustache. It was all topped off with a darker purple, open vest with golden trim. All in all, the creature was quite well-dressed, but to Luigi, no less frightening.

Taking a small step forward, the fellow closed the door, gaining a little bit of courage from Luigi's own show of nervousness. The smile grew a bit more confident, though no less wary. "I am Toadsworth," he announced in a strong, accented voice. "Steward to his Majesty, the Mushroom King." He gestured to the fabulous furnishings around them, as though that alone spoke of his ruler's might. Which, in all honesty, it did. A look of puzzlement came across his face, turning questioning eyes to Luigi and lowering his arms back to his sides. "And who, sir, may I ask, are you?"

The younger plumber felt suddenly very subconscious under the creature's gaze. It was tinged with curiosity, as though Luigi himself were the creature rather than himself, but also a good amount of unease. And that unease transferred itself to Luigi, making him tremble all the more. "L-Luigi..." he stuttered, pausing when he felt as though that answer wasn't enough, before adding, "Brother t-to Mario."

Toadsworth raised a questioning brow, clearly made even more curious. "Mario?" he asked, confused, before his eyes lit up in understanding. "Ah, that must be the fellow who arrived here with you."

Luigi momentarily forgot his fear, coming out from behind the chair, causing Toadsworth to take a nervous step back. "Yes! Yes, is-a he alright?! Is-a he okay?!"

Toadsworth nodded, keeping his distance. Despite his trepidation about this young human, he could see that Luigi was terribly anxious for his brother. Enemy or no, he needed reassurance. And Toadsworth was determined to provide it. "Oh, yes, he is recovering quite well. In fact, our doctor has just reported to us that he has finally awoken. He was in pretty poor shape when you two first arrived. It seems that his arm had been torn pretty badly. It had grown infected, and the toxins had spread through his body. But Doctor Toadley is a skilled healer, and his potions work wonders on your kind."

"May I...May I see him?"

Toadsworth frowned, suddenly feeling very guarded, but also guilty. "I'm afraid not. Not just yet, anyway. Once your brother has gained a little more strength, you and he will be brought before the King."

"B-But why?" Luigi had shrunk back, not quite behind the chair, but certainly not in front of it. He didn't like how final that sounded. He had begun to believe he was a guest here, wherever he was...But, now, he felt more like a prisoner.

"He has many questions for you two," Toadsworth said firmly; dutifully.

"No, I mean, why can't-a I see Mario?"

"Oh. Well, my boy...You see, we are at war..." He gave a long pause, looking confused, as though he thought Luigi should have known that. "We have no way of telling whether you and your brother are...friendly, or not. For all we know, you could be the enemy."

"But we're not!" Luigi cried out defensively. "We don't-a even know where we are! We're from Brooklyn!"

Toadsworth's face became even more confused, having never even _heard_ of a land called Brooklyn. "While that may be very true, we cannot take the chance." His face actually held a retained expression of regret. "Please understand, it is for our own safety, as well as yours and your brother's."

"But-"

"It is either keep you two apart in your own separate rooms, so that you cannot plot together to escape," he interrupted sternly, "or you both will be placed in a cell until the King calls you." It pained him to say it, and the look on the human's face made it even worse, but he had to obey protocol.

Luigi shrunk back even further, eyes wide with fear and arms extended as though to keep that possibility from happening. "Oh, no! No, please, just..." A defeated look entered his light, blue eyes. He lowered his head, gazing at the floor. "Does Mario have a room like-a this?"

"Yes, he does."

Luigi knew that his brother was alive. After all they had been through, and going by what this Toadsworth was telling him, Mario was very lucky to even be alive at all. The thought made Luigi sick, and frightened. These rooms weren't so bad, and, besides not allowing him to leave his room, these people seemed to be pretty friendly. At least they hadn't done anything cruel or harmful. Luigi was still wary, but there really wasn't anything that he could do about that right now. "...OK..." he murmured softly. He knew when he was beat. "I will-a stay here. I will-a wait." He sat down into the chair, head in his hands.

"Very good." Toadsworth turned to leave, trying not to feel too guilty. He opened the great, oak door, before turning back one final time. "Is there anything that you need? Food? Drink?"

Luigi gave him a nervous, but grateful smile. He could tell that this creature -Toadsworth- felt just as bad about forcing him to stay there as he himself felt about being forced to stay. "N-No. Thank you, though. _Grazie*._ "

Toadsworth nodded. "As you wish. I will send someone to fetch you the moment your brother is strong enough to have audience with the King. Until then, make yourself comfortable. There are many books here, perhaps some that you may find interesting." He stood a moment, as if he wished he had more to offer, but then turned, leaving without another word, and closing the door with a faint, resounding _thump_.

Luigi gazed at the closed door for a moment, knowing without even checking that it would be locked. He let his eyes wander slowly over the shelves of books, as well as the richly furnished bed, windows, and walls. He looked back toward the door again, before letting his head fall back into his hands with a groan.

" _Oh , questo è male ...*_ "

* * *

Mario leaned unsteadily against the door, fingers wrapped around the bronze ring, the only thing keeping him standing. It felt like the floor was wavering beneath his feet, like some solid ocean churning around him, but he knew that it was just his dizziness. Closing his eyes, he fought to ease the nausea churning inside him, and when he opened them again, the dizziness had eased. Licking his dry lips, Mario carefully let go of the door, coming to a trembling stand. The longer he stood, the more steady he became. Soon, his trembling eased, and the room stopped turning completely. He took a deep breath, which took away his last remaining feelings of nausea.

"...Ok..." he breathed, "Ok." Looking around him more carefully, he took in the structure of the room. He had to escape. He needed to find Luigi. They needed to get back to New York. But he couldn't do any of those things unless he found a way out of his room first. It was a sturdy structure, with no other exit or entry other than the door and the window. The door was out of the question, but the window...

Mario walked forward purposefully, laying his hands against the glass of the latticed, bay window. He shifted his hands along the smooth surface, gazing up and down at the top of the frame to the bottom. Gritting his teeth and taking a chance, Mario gave a sharp push. There was a slight crackle, and a snap, but not of something breaking. Just as he had hoped, the window swung open outward, roughly, since it probably hadn't been opened in years. Mario felt a blast of cool air as a strong breeze sprang in through the opening, tousling his light brown hair and chilling against his bare skin that wasn't covered by his vest. He leaned forward, bracing against the sill as he looked down. With a sharp inhale he steadied himself, unnerved by the height stretching far below him.

This was not going to be easy.

He glanced down again, trying to detect a way out. From what he could tell, he was in the castle he and Luigi had seen from the top of the hill in the forest. It appeared that the room he was in the castles keep, or one of its castles keeps, for, if he remembered correctly, he had noticed it had had more than one. How he knew that, he didn't know, and, right now, he did't care. Immediately below the window there seemed to be a jutting formation of stone, a kind of decorative carving that created a ledge, small and precarious, but wide enough to walk on. But only just barely.

Running back to the center of the room, Mario glanced about him, looking for something that would aid in his decent. His eyes caught sight of the long ropes that decorated the bed drapery. Moving swiftly, he pulled them free, fastening one end to one of the bed's twisted posts. Once he was sure it was secure, he raced back over to the window, the other end of the rope in his hand. He felt his stomach churn again at the height, but he was determined to get out of his prison. He had never liked being cooped up, and against his will, separated from Luigi, he despised it even more.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared for the climb.

* * *

Mario dropped to his knees, just inside the window he had just made it through. His heart was racing, and he was shaking more than ever before, but he was alive, and he was free. The climb had been terrifying, he couldn't deny that. And he had very nearly slipped a number of times. He was breathing heavily, trying to calm his mind, leaning forward with his sweaty hands resting in front of him on the cold, paneled floor.

He had shifted along that jutting stone, using the rope to steady himself, which had proven to be a very trying and exhausting task. Not that it would have done much good. It was really only a precaution in case he slipped. That way he knew he wouldn't fall to his death, but would simply swing back to under the window he had exited through. He'd be bruised, and battered, but at least he would be alive. Even then, he hadn't been sure how much it would have really helped him, what with him only having one good arm. But he had made it, finding another window, an open one, further along that he had been able to tumble through.

His legs shook violently as he rose back to his feet, feeling a little dizzy from the adrenaline still pumping through his veins. He was out of that room, but now he had to find Luigi. It was going to prove to be a bit of a trick, seeing as he had no idea where Luigi was being held. But Mario wasn't often one to think things through completely. He was free, and now he would find Luigi. Point A to point B, the in between stuff he'd figure out as he went along.

"Hey! What are you doing out?!"

Mario jerked his head to the right, spotting another creature, the same height as Doctor Toadley and, Mario could only guess, the same species. It looked at him with a shocked expression, and seemed to know that he was not supposed to be out of his room. Taking off at an all out run, Mario took to his heels and raced around the left corner just as the creature started shouting for help. Its voice faded behind the plumber as he continued down a long hall, down a flight of spiraling, stone stairs, and into yet another long, brightly lit hall. The floor was adorned with soft, red carpet in this one, looking quite royal, leading the way through the architecture. The walls were lined with portraits, mostly of creatures Mario could not define, nor wanted to. With the sound of pattering feet and shouts behind him, and growing ever closer, Mario rounded yet another corner at full speed-

And then crashed into something with a painful _thump_.

Whatever it was was soft, for the most part, and gave way under his weight and speed. Mario and the object of his collision fell to the floor, rolling down the hall for several feet before coming to an aching halt. The carpet was not nearly as soft as it had first appeared. Mario groaned, his head and body protesting all he was putting it through. Shakily pushing himself up onto one elbow, he glanced up...

And froze.

"Oooh..."

The bundle of pink opposite him moaned. The bundle stirred, a ruffled, blond-haired woman emerging from the folds of fabric, which Mario faintly realized was her dress. It punched up around her, a series of hills and valleys of clothing, with her head emerging from its center. She was holding a white-gloved hand to her forehead, eyes closed as she too dealt with her body's protest of treatment. When her eyes opened, it was two clear, blue fluttering pools from behind long, thick lashes. She seemed disoriented, rubbing ruefully at a bump on her golden head of hair. She wore a small crown, making Mario realize with dread that he had just plowed over someone very important. She blinked a few times before looking up, confused as to what had happened. Their eyes met, and she gasped, clearly frightened.

"I...I'm sorry..." Mario stuttered, trying to get back to his feet, all while staring at her. He was surprised to see another human in this place. He had expected it to be filled with nothing but more of those odd, little creatures. She didn't answer him, instead continued looking at him with wide eyes, scared out of her wits. She was frozen, uncertain whether to stay as she was or if she should scream for help. Shouting broke out behind them, loud and close, and Mario scrambled to his feet. "I'm sorry," he said again, hurriedly, before taking off down the hall once more. The girl followed him with her eyes until he was gone from sight.

Mario rounded each corner he came to just as quickly as the last, knowing that he had no time to slow down and be careful. He was afraid that every moment he wasted was one percent more likely that he wouldn't find his brother. He skidded to the left, coming to a halt as several mushroom creatures came at him from in front of him. He turned to run back the other way only to stop again, finding he was hemmed in on that side as well. He backed away, pressing against a door frame in the hall. Trying to escape them through the woodwork if possible.

"Stay away! I have-a to find my brother!"

* * *

Luigi's ears perked at the familiar voice of Mario, seemingly right outside his door. Launching himself from the chair, he raced across the carpeted floor, slamming into the wooden portal with a grunt. He banged on it, pushing and pulling on the bronze rings in desperation.

"Mario! Mario, I'm in-a here!"

* * *

Mario heard his brother's cry, slamming his own weight against the door in an effort to open it himself. The creatures were coming slowly toward him, obviously frightened by his behavior, and holding their hands outstretched in a calming gesture. Though Mario was far past the calming point. He looked up at the door's structure, panicked. Spying a large bolt, holding the door shut and locked, he jumped, managing to catch it, swinging from it like it were some sort of monkey bar. It hurt his arm, so he shifted most of his strength to his good limb, using the injured one for balance.

"Oh no!"

One of the creatures cried out, and they all surged forward, grabbing his legs and pulling, trying to bring him down from the lock. Their added weight, however, only assisted the eldest Mario brother, and with a sharp click, it shifted, unlocking the door. It opened inward, bopping Luigi in the nose and causing the younger plumber to stumble backward inside, Mario and the creatures falling forward into the room. Luigi jumped, eyes still watering from the bruise forming on his tender nose. His expression turned to one of surprise, as Mario struggled to free himself of several creatures, who were all doing their best to get him to stay still and listen just for a moment.

"Weegee! Help, get them off-a me!"

Luigi wasn't sure if he liked that idea, but his brother needed help. Running over to the fireplace, he grabbed a poker, running back and preparing to shove the things aside with it. Not hurt them, just sort of push them away. He raised it to do the job, when a terribly strong and demanding voice from behind them startled all present.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

They all froze, plumbers and creatures alike, taking in the large, intimidating figure before them. Luigi dropped the poker with a clatter, his trembling coming back all at once. Mario, filled with worry and curiosity, stared up at the figure with wide eyes, held down by several very relieved creatures.

* * *

 **Doctor Toadley is actually a character that doesn't show up until the game "Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story", but I figured that he would have lived in Toad Town long before that. Since Mario was injured, I needed a doctor, and he fit the bill. :) The same goes for Toadsworth, who didn't make an appearance in the games until "Super Mario Sunshine", but is said to have lived in the palace and taken care of Princess Peach since she was a little girl.**

 ***Grazie = "Thank you" in Italian.**

 ** _*"Oh , questo è male ..."_ = "Oh, this is bad" in Italian.**


	9. Meeting

Mario stopped struggling against the small hands that held him, his attention completely taken with the large figure standing angrily before him. The sound of Luigi's poker hitting the tiled floor made him jump, before he allowed himself to be carefully pulled to his feet by the creatures around him. Even standing, Mario was very small next to the newcomer. Taking in the man's clothing, for he appeared to be human, there was no mistaking the richly adorned robes of a king. And, even then, something about the way he stood, head held high, seeming to look down on the world with authority, left no doubt in the plumber's mind that he was standing before royalty. The fact that the mushroom creatures had now let go of him so that they could bow was another clear hint.

The king was a large man, heavy set and tall, especially compared to all others present. Long, dark purple robes adorned his solid frame, reaching almost all the way down to his feet, which were fitted with purple slippers. The robe was outlined with golden trim, reaching down the front and dipping into the long, drooping sleeves. His head, like the mushroom creatures, was capped, not with the colors of red, blue, and yellow that Mario had seen so far, but a jet black, with circled patterns of yellow and orange. A crown sat upon his head, and his face, which was frowning down at him, was divided by a very large mustache and goatee. All in all, a very intimidating figure under the circumstances.

The king narrowed his eyes at the two plumbers, taking in their worn and rather frightened appearance. The smaller one, who seemed a little less unsettled, stood straight and erect, a look of defiance on his round face, even though it was obvious that the king's appearance had thrown him off. His chest was heaving for breath, visible under the vest he had been given and a strange outfit that consisted of a pair of blue pants held up by straps. His arms, which were bare, were bruised, and, in some places, cut. He was quite dirty, dust smudged on his skin and face. On closer inspection, the king realized the man was swaying unsteadily on his feet, but only just barely noticeable. It sealed his conclusion that this man was in a rather poor condition. It was a wonder he had even made it this far from his designated room.

The second man, who was just a little thinner and taller than the first, seemed equally ruffled, though far more distressed. He was shaking so hard that his bare feet jittered around on the floor, and he had to make a visible effort to keep still. He was curled in on himself, his hands folded in front of his chest as he wrung the life out of them. He too wore the odd pants with straps, only without the vest, again exposing various bruises and cuts that covered his bare arms. He held a very strong resemblance to the first man, and the king slowly realized that they might just be related. Quite closely related.

"What is going on here?" the king asked more calmly. Now that he didn't have to shout over the din that had existed before, he settled back into his normal continence, which, honestly, was usually far more reserved. He turned slightly to take in the two figures that he knew were behind him, gazing at them as though the question was theirs to answer.

Mario recognized Doctor Toadley immediately; not that that was hard to do. He was pretty sure that no other creature in the world could possibly be like him in any respect. Likewise, Luigi recognized Toadsworth, and felt a little ashamed that he had betrayed the old one's trust. Or, at least, as close to trust as one could get when one had been locked in a bedroom for hours. Both brothers felt very uncomfortable, either way. They suddenly weren't so sure they had been fighting the right people. Looking around them, the creatures seemed far more concerned than hostile, now that the brothers took the time to notice. A feeling of general doubt began to make hold of them, and they began to wonder if they had had the situation all wrong. If these people really didn't mean them any harm.

One of the creatures that had been gripping Mario's arm stepped forward, bowing low before addressing his king. "Y-You Majesty! We...The small man left his room...and we did not know whether he should be stopped!" He seemed to cower a bit. "We...We thought we had better catch him and ask you before we let them free?" He ended as though it were a question, uncertain. "We didn't mean for things to get so far out of hand."

"That's alright, my good Toad. You did well. I believe our guests are just feeling a bit confused." The king turned sharply to Mario, his kind expression turning to a stern gaze. "Come with me." He turned to Luigi. "You as well." He twirled about, heading down the hall, without so much as a doubt that they would follow. And, after a moment and a shared glance, Mario and Luigi carefully did so, leaving the worn and weary creatures behind. Toadsworth and Doctor Toadley, however, followed as well, behind the plumbers, without a word.

They walked down a series of corridors, large and spacious. Light shafted in from the high placed windows, lighting the way quite efficiently, shining down upon the floors, whose carpet had now given way to wood boards, polished thickly, making them smooth and dark. Each board was a slightly different shade of grayish-brown, giving it a very distinct look. Mario couldn't help realizing that the boards could not be wood, at least, not from the nearby forest. The woods there consisted only of giant mushrooms. Unless, perhaps, they were not wood at all, but boards of sliced fungus. The mushrooms in this place were sturdy and hard, unlike the ones in the country back toward New York. It could be a very large possibility. Braided chairs lined the halls at intervals, casting intricate shadows as the sun shone through them, adding to the overall foreign feel to the castle itself. The walls were made of large, granite blocks, which traveled up and overhead, coming to beautiful arches above them, placed every so many feet from each other. It all made the brothers feel quite out of place and small.

Finally, they followed the king through a pair of heavy, double doors into a large room with polished, white marble floors. There were few windows in this place, but it wasn't left in darkness. Chandeliers hung from fixtures in the ceiling, casting a warm, kitchen-like glow all around the room. At the chamber's center stood a rectangular table, though its corners were so blunt it could have been oval if not for its flat sides. Chairs, thickly cushioned and ornately carved, lined each side, five on the long ends and only one on the thin. It was in one of these chairs that the king settled himself. With a wave of his hand, he indicated the other chairs.

"Please, be seated."

Toadsworth and Doctor Toadley did so at once, both choosing spots to the king's right. Luigi also moved to do as he was told, but Mario held out a hand to hold him back. "Wait." He fixed his eyes on the king suspiciously. "How do we know that-a we can trust you?"

The king lowered his extended hand with a sigh. "My subjects have been wondering the same thing about _you_. If you wish to remain standing, you certainly may. I was only being courteous." There was a pause, in which Mario and Luigi exchanged uneasy glances, before they finally moved to slowly take the seats to the king's left, though as far from him as possible. The king nodded, seemingly pleased. "Now, after all the disturbance you have caused, I find my patience waning. But, then again, perhaps it is my fault. Things were not properly explained to you, and your confusion led to your fear. Is that correct?"

Luigi answered truthfully, even though the question had really been more for Mario's sake. "Y-Yes, Sir."

"That is perfectly understandable," the king continued firmly. "And I apologize for not informing you more upon your arrival. But things have been very...busy. You see, we are at war." The word seemed to ring out into the chamber with a sense of foreboding. It dropped in the atmosphere like a thick fog, and even Mario and Luigi felt its presence.

"War?" Mario asked carefully. "With who?"

"With _whom,"_ Toadsworth corrected. Mario gave him a glare, showing that he was in no mood for a grammar lesson. The old creature backed down at once, showing that his response had been more out of habit than anything else. The king didn't seem to take any notice.

"It started only a few months ago. A clan of Koopa from beyond our kingdom has slowly been invading. It started in some of the far off villages on the outer fringe of the Mushroom Forest, and, since then, we have not been able to keep them out." His face was grim, and tinged with sadness. It was as though the king had visibly aged before them, the toll of the war obviously effecting him deeply.

Mario caught the strange term the king had used, trying the word out with distaste. "Koopa? What do they look-a like?" He had an underlying suspicion that the creatures that had chased them in the forest were somehow related to this conversation.

The three natives seemed confused, surprised by Mario's lack of knowledge. It made Mario almost feel like an idiot. The king stumbled over his words a bit, trying to come up with an answer. "Well, like...Koopa. There is no other thing to compare them to."

"Are they turtle-like?"

"...Tertlelyke?" The kings heavily eyebrowed face scrunched up in confusion. "I know not of these tertlelyke."

Mario tried not to appear as impatient as he felt. "Do they have shells on their backs? Stand about this-a tall?" He held his palm out over the floor, indicating a size only slightly shorter than himself. It was the simplest description he could come up with, and, in all honesty, it almost felt disrespectful. This king was obviously a very intelligent man, and yet having to explain a turtle to him made him seem almost childish.

An understanding seemed to light up in the king's face. "Yes. Yes, that is an accurate description. But you can understand our doubt as to your...loyalties. We were uncertain that you were on our side, or the side of the Koopa King."

Luigi decided that it was time that he speak up, his worries and anxieties having gotten the best of him. "B-But they were chasing us...Isn't that proof enough that-a we aren't with them on all this?" He certainly had the scrapes and bruises to prove it that those villains had not been their friends.

"No," the king said seriously, and maybe a little regretfully. "I'm afraid it is not. But the fact that you are human did persuade us not to lock you in the dungeon." His eyes shifted to Mario directly. "That, and you were injured."

Mario glanced down at his bandaged arm, having almost completely forgotten about it. Whatever these people had used to treat it must be working, for he felt almost no pain in his limb now at all. He lifted his gaze back up to the king, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Human? But what has-a that to do with anything? Aren't _you_ human?"

Again, the king and his two companions seemed surprised by the question. As though it were something that Mario should have known without asking. The king nodded slowly, his eyes studying the two plumbers with a new level of intensity, as though he were taking them more seriously now. "Yes. You see, that is why it is so strange."

Toadsworth nodded. "Only royalty are human," he added, seeing that that needed clarification.

"W-What?" Mario blinked repeatedly, trying to comprehend that sentence. Only royalty? That meant that the other percentage, whatever that may be, was exclusively _not_ human. And he bet, ten to one, that the non-human population drastically outweighed the human population in this place, based on what he had seen of it so far.

The king took a long breath, knowing that this would take some explanation. "Long ago, or so it is said, my ancestors came to this place from another world. They were unable to return, and so made a home for themselves here. My family line comes from these people. There are no others, other than some relatives ruling in Sarasaland. Humans are very rare here, and so we assumed you were either from one of the human ruling families or..."

"Or that-a we came from that other world," Mario finished in a whisper, his eyes having taken on a rather faraway look.

"Exactly," the king confirmed. "But, even then, there is no way for us to know that you will tell us the truth, or that you do not serve the Koopa King."

"But we're not!" Mario suddenly shouted, standing to his feet and pushing his chair back so roughly it screeched against the marble floor. His brother did likewise.

"We're from Brooklyn!" Luigi supplied frantically.

The king shook his head sadly, trying to calm the two men down with the sound of his deep, controlled voice. "I know not of this Brookland, just as I know not of the tertlelyke, but I believe in the sense that you are not from here. In which case this is a very rare occurrence indeed."

"That is very true, Your Majesty," Doctor Toadley supplied quickly. He had been waiting for his chance to speak up and was now taking the moment to do so. "Though, must I proclaim to you that the stars predicted this? Yes, I must."

The king frowned, turning his full attention to the creature in question. "How do you mean, Doctor Toadley?"

"A week ago this day," the fellow replied, "the lumas shone brightly, moving in patterns that have not been seen or recorded for hundreds of years. Was their song sweet, and in a language that even I could not understand? Yes, indeed. It was an ancient song; one saved for this particular event."

"Perhaps we should try and contact Rosalina," Toadsworth suggested. "She will know what is going on."

The king smiled at his old friend, but shook his head sadly. "That is a worthy note, Toadsworth; but Rosalina will not come. She only sets foot from the heavens once every one hundred years. There is no chance of her coming for any other reason."

"Even if it pertains to the prophecy?" Toadsworth insisted.

Mario looked from one to the other, his confusion suddenly getting fed up with itself. "Wait, wait...Let-a me get this straight. First we're the enemy, and-a now we're a part of some prophecy? What is wrong with you people?! We're just ordinary human beings from-a Brooklyn! We're nothing special!"

"We're plumbers!" Luigi seconded.

Mario's voice cracked slightly, calming down considerably. "And we just-a want to get back home."

The king lifted an eyebrow, concerned with the emotion behind the two mens' words. They were obviously upset, almost desperate. And desperation, he had found, could be a dangerous foe. It made one do things they would never normally do. It made them, in a way, even more of a hazard. And yet, at the same time, he was finding that he was very concerned for them personally. Some sort of connection, perhaps something having to do with them both being human, as he was. A bit more care drifted into the king's eyes as he asked gently, "How did you get here?"

Mario sat back down heavily in his chair, suddenly looking very worn and tired. "We...We don't-a really know. We were...We were trying to fix a flooded bathroom, when-a this huge...pipe just appeared. It sucked us in and...well...We woke up not-a far from here. Up in the forest."

Doctor Toadley looked visibly depressed by his words. "I was afraid of such."

Luigi's eyes snapped to settle on the strangely robed creature. "W-What do you mean?

"

"You speak of Warp Pipes?" Toadley asked rhetorically. "Yes, you do. They too are rare, and have not been seen for over a millennium. We only have sketches of them from the early settlers of the ancient Mushroom Kingdom. Is it another strange coincidence? I think not."

Mario was looking more and more stricken as the doctor's words slowly sunk in. "You...You mean, you don't-a know how to get us back to New York?"

Toadley sighed, not meeting the plumber's frightened gaze. "Would I if I could? Yes, of course. But the likelihood of finding another Warp Pipe is very small, and even smaller that it should lead you home." He looked Mario directly in the eyes. "Am I sorry? Yes, I am."

Mario held his gaze a moment, before suddenly looking away, obviously fighting with his rising emotions. The chamber was thrown into an uncomfortable silence, in which no one dared to speak. Finally, when it had seemed to go on forever, the king cleared his throat and spoke.

"Please, understand that you must stay here, in the castle. I give you permission to go wherever you please, as long as you stay within these walls."

"As your prisoner?" Mario asked, almost bitterly, still not looking anyone in the face, but instead averted his eyes to the floor.

The king's face softened, a look of hurt and regret flitting into his expression. "No. As our guests. And as humans under our protection." He said the last bit with conviction, as though he had come to a decision and intended to keep it.

Luigi wrung his hands nervously, looking up at the king with a sense of misunderstanding. "So...y-you don't-a think we're the enemy anymore?"

"I never did," the royal answered sincerely. "But, as King, I must always take the benefit of the doubt." His frown turned to a welcoming smile. "Diner will be served shortly, and it would please me if you were to join me. Toadsworth will show you to a room. You can freshen up there, and you will be provided with new clothes." He paused, watching Mario's face carefully, trying to read the young man's expression.

Mario looked down at the smooth, almost glossy, tabletop, the reflection of the chandeliers staring back at him. He looked over at his brother, meeting Luigi's questioning gaze. It was obvious that Luigi was being far more trusting of these people than he was. Food did sound good, especially since he could remember the last time they had eaten. Finally, he closed his eyes, sighing deeply. Nodding to the king, he gave his answer.

"That-a would be...fine. Thank you."

* * *

To say that the fresh water felt good was an understatement. Mario had never been so grateful for water in all his life. Back at the shop, the plumbing, despite the two plumbers' occupation, had never worked. The shower, when and if it did work, was always cold, and smelled faintly of oil. While it had never been a pleasant experience, they had had no other choice. When they were younger, they had tried doing it under some obscure bridge on a less populated part of town at night, but it had been their misfortune to get caught by a wandering policeman. Thankfully, the officer had only given them a stern warning. While that was all well and good, it had never solved their problem, and they had never tried the river again.

But this...this was like Heaven. Clean water filled a stone tub, which was more like a small swimming pool. Only a few feet deep, it was warm, heated by fires burning beneath the stone structure like an open flame oven. It warmed the water to a steaming degree, but never hot enough to burn. It soaked into his dirty hair, and caused his cuts and bruises to sting, not that he minded. It was the first time in years that he had enjoyed a warm bath, and he wasn't about to let his aches and pains ruin the experience. It soothed him, and, for the first time in the past week, he felt mildly relaxed.

Until his mind wandered back to their predicament. His brain refused to accept the fact that he and Luigi were stuck in this place. He refused to believe that this was another world, and that they had no hope, short of a miracle, of ever seeing home again. He _refused_. Too many things had been left unfinished. Too many things had been left to settle. He had wanted to fight, legally, against Foreman Spike for the possession of the shop. Even if it meant crawling before a judge and begging, he would have done it. That shop had belonged to his and Luigi's father. He had left it to his sons, trusting that they would take care of it and carry on his work, such as it was. But now, Spike had gotten his greedy mitts on it, and he and Luigi were...somewhere, and unable to get back. He refused to accept that.

Luigi seemed to be in denial as well. Mario could tell this by how calm, or, at least, relatively so, Luigi seemed to be. Instead of panicking, his younger brother just seemed a little distracted, but not as upset as he should be. Mario figured their situation just hadn't sunk in yet. He wished that it would stay that way; it was better. But he knew, eventually, the weigh of their circumstances would hit Luigi, and then he would be unconsolable. Mario just planned to be there for him when it happened, but, for the meantime, he would just let him be.

He settled back in the water, allowing his muscles to un-tense again, suddenly filling with sadness. He felt guilt and shame at his inability to solve the problem. He had been, as the oldest son, responsible for the shop and the business. And he had failed. Miserably. What would his father say if he was there? Nothing good. Nothing that Mario didn't feel he deserved.

After that thought, he no longer felt any joy from the warm bath, and quickly finished cleaning. Towels had been set out for him and Luigi, though Luigi had already had his bath; Mario had let him go first. With a sigh, Mario looked at the clothes that had been set out for him. They consisted of various brightly colored fabric, none of which Mario particularly liked. Not to mention that they were all too big. The pants, which were baggy anyway, refused to stay up around his hips. He tried bunching up the material, but that only succeeded in making him look even more ridiculous. The shirt was more like a large nightgown, flowing down well below his knees. After a moment of trying to keep all the material from slipping off his shoulders or falling off completely, he finally just stripped off the pants and pulled on his overalls. By tucking the shirt down inside, he reduced the amount of fabric, and, due to the thinness of the shirt, it didn't bunch up too noticeably. It still kept slipping off his shoulders, but with the overall straps helping to hold it in place, it wasn't nearly as bad. He couldn't help thinking that he looked uncommonly like circus clown. His overalls were stained with grass and dirt, but, by brushing them vigorously, and scrubbing water into the stains with his hands, he actually managed to make them reasonably presentable. Of course, it left dark, wet spots all over the jean material, but if he stood by the fireplace out in the bedroom, he was sure it would dry before diner.

Hanging up both his wet towel and Luigi's, which his younger brother had left on the floor sitting in a puddle of water, Mario opened the door and stepped back out into the large bedroom. Toadsworth had tried to give the brothers separate rooms again, but both had insisted on staying together. After all they had been through, Toadsworth had actually understood, and complied to their request. The bedroom was huge, even compared to the ones they had been in before. The carpets were thick and soft under Mario's bare feet, and the warmth from the ornate hearth was comforting, even in their current trails.

Luigi had been sitting in an armchair by the flames, warming himself and, in all truth, had begun to nod off, still exhausted from their adventures thus far. But the sound of the bathroom doors creaking open awoke him with a jolt, and he quickly turned to see who was entering. His eyes widened at the sight of his brother, and it was all he could do to not laugh out loud. Mario looked quite a sight. His shirt, obviously far too large for him, kept slipping off his shoulder, hanging far down until it looked like he was a little boy dressed in his father's nightshirt. It was very colorful, a mix of reds and blues, complimentary colors for him, but in this context, overly so. Luigi saw that Mario had attempted to jam the fabric down in his overalls, with mild success. It bunched out over the top of the pants part a little, which only made him look more uncomfortable.

Luigi pressed his lips into a tight smile as he tried his hardest not to laugh. "You look ridiculous," he said seriously.

Mario sighed. "I _feel_ ridiculous." His eyes narrowed, and a mischievous smile made its way onto his own face. "And what about you? You don't exactly look-a like those fit you at all."

He was right. Luigi's clothes, also quite bright and colorful, were too big for him as well, though not as much as Mario's were for him. It looked more like he was wearing a large, tie-dye T-shirt, though the pattern wasn't quite right. Mario realized that his brother was holding the side of his pants quite tightly, right were his hips supposedly were.

"Luigi..." He tried not to snicker. "Luigi, let-a go of your pants."

Luigi looked a little startled, but then smiled, letting go of the material. His pants slipped down at once, even though he was still perfectly well-covered by the length of the shirt. Both men burst out laughing, leaning against the wall or furniture, whichever was closer, as they let out a series of long, cleansing guffaws.

"Th-Th-Their too big f-for you too?" Mario gasped helplessly, eyes tearing up with mirth. Luigi couldn't even answer he was chuckling so hard. It was all he could do to stay upright, trying his best to pull the pants back around his hips, where they refused to stay.

 _Knock Knock_

The sudden sound of gentle knocking on the door froze both men mid-laugh, as though it were reality come to take them back to the situation at hand. Luigi hurriedly gathered the extra material around his waist, managing to keep it there as he quickly regained his composer. Mario straightened up stiffly, his distrust of these people still strong, even though he did appreciate all they had down. Clearing his throat, his voice slightly hoarse from laughing, he called out in answer.

"Come in?"

The door opened slowly, creaking on the hinges. They were heavy, and couldn't be opened swiftly, even in a hurry. Luigi and Mario braced themselves for more creatures, or perhaps Toadsworth himself, but the person who entered gave them a serious shock. Mario's mouth fell open in surprise, and for a moment he couldn't think of anything to say. There, standing in the open doorway, looking rather nervous and uncomfortable, stood the young woman that he had run into in the hall. Now that he wasn't fleeing for his life, he got to see her. Really see her. That golden, blond hair that sat upon her shoulders and traveled down her back. That beautiful, pink dress that flowed out over the floor, hiding her feet completely from view. Those blue eyes that seemed to stare right into his soul. He had to catch his breath, realizing that he had stopped inhaling when she had come in.

She smiled anxiously, casting a glance over her shoulder into the hall, before stepping into the room completely and shutting the door behind her. "Hello," she said sweetly, still nervous but kind. "I...I wanted to come and see you myself. Especially after our first meeting." This last part she said to Mario, rubbing her hip where he had run into her. It was then that Mario finally found his voice.

"I...I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She laughed, and her laugh was musical. "No more than a bruise, I assure you. My father says that you were frightened, and that you didn't know what was happening. I'm sorry your first impressions of the Mushroom Kingdom were like that." She pulled her other hand out from behind her back, where it had been up until now. In it were held several articles of clothing. "I saw the clothes Toadsworth picked out for you, and, well, I knew they would be too big. I had someone fetch these from down below. They were going to be disposed of, but I figured that maybe you would like them back."

She handed Mario his red shirt, blushing slightly at his shocked expression. His eyes wandered over the fabric, noticing that it was clean. A few haphazard stitches told that they had also been mended. "You...You really shouldn't have," he said sincerely, though it was obvious that it meant a lot to him. His reaction seemed to please the woman greatly.

"It wasn't really any trouble." She turned to Luigi, handing him his brown shirt*, also washed and mended. The younger brother took it gratefully, and than rushed to pull his pants back up before they fell too low. His face was all a blush with embarrassment.

"Th-Thanks."

Mario blinked, coming out of his daze the woman's appearance had thrown him into, a realization coming to him quite suddenly. "Your...Your father...He's the-"

"King," she finished. "Yes."

Mario looked over at Luigi, slightly distressed. "But he...um...He didn't disapprove of-a you coming here?"

The woman shrugged, heading back toward the door. "He doesn't know I'm here. I have to go now, but I'll see you at diner. You...You are coming?"

Before she had come in and shown them kindness, Mario might have said no. But now, after all she had done, he couldn't possibly turn her down. He could see that Luigi felt very much the same way. "We'll...be there." He had to force it out, but once he had said it, he felt slightly better. What harm could a little trust do? These people had been nothing but kind; suspicious, but kind. It only made sense to return the gesture. "We'll see-a you then...Princess?" He wasn't sure if that was the right title. He had never met royalty before, other than the king of this place, and he found he had no idea how to address her.

She smiled warmly. "Princess Toadstool."

Mario flinched. It just didn't seem to fit her kind face and beautiful soul. It was like meeting Miss America and finding out her real name was Agnes Dizzledorf, or something equally unfitting. It just seemed out of place. Out of context. Out of style for her. But, who was he to say so? Her name was her name, and what he thought of it made very little difference.

"Very well, Princess."

"Toadsworth will be along to get you soon. Please don't tell him I was here." When they had both promised, she nodded gently, sending the men a small smile before leaving and shutting the door behind her.

Mario smiled after she left, despite himself.

Luigi just worked on keeping his pants up.

* * *

 ***Remember, in the early games, Luigi was dressed in a brown shirt and green overalls. ;)**

 **Sorry this took so long, I know a lot of you have been waiting. What I get I guess for writing so many stories all at once! ;)**


	10. Darkening Shadows

The feast that was spread out before them was unlike anything either brother had ever seen. Being as underprivileged as they had been in New York, neither Mario nor Luigi had ever even seen a _mildly_ large meal. But this, in the halls of the Mushroom King, was enough food to feed everyone the two had ever known...for a week! It just kept coming, and coming, and coming. All manner of platters, most of which Mario was pretty sure he had never even heard of, were passed between the king, his daughter, Toadsworth, Doctor Toadley, and the two plumbers. Not that Mario or Luigi ate much of it. The food, though it smelled good, looked odd, and foreign. It was a question in some cases whether they should eat any of it at all. But it had literally been days since food had been ingested by either brother, and the sickening hunger within them prompted them to eat a little at least, to satisfy the emptiness within them.

It tasted...different. Though not necessarily in an unpleasant way. It was more along the lines of being too rich, and too flavorful for them. It was as though any other meal they had ever eaten had been as dry and bland as week-old bread. These dishes were like tasting the colors of the rainbow, so strong and warm that it was hard for them to it get down without shivering slightly. Their stomachs didn't technically reject it, but they felt rather strange after. Sort of wiggly on the inside, all along their nervous system. Their hosts, however, seemed completely oblivious to this fact, and ate a good potion of the feast, undeterred by the strange feelings. Mario vaguely wondered whether they even experienced the same sensation, or if it was just him and Luigi.

Conversation was light for the first half of the meal, a bustle of activity as little mushroom people, who the king had informed them were called Toads, carried platters from the kitchen that was located somewhere out of sight and up to the table at which they sat. Mario watched the creatures curiously, trying to keep his mind from associating them with either the mushrooms they looked like, or the amphibians back in New York that the name of their species reminded him of. All he could think of was little, bug-eyed toads, hopping about on lily pads, croaking and catching flies. Which was utterly ridiculous, since they didn't even remotely look like that. If he had to compare them to anything, it would have been a plush toy won at some carnival game. They were short, squatty, cute in their own way, and had little to no legs to be seen. Just two, biscuit-shaped feet. Their voices were scratchy, but higher pitch than one might expect. The noise was slightly grating, but not enough so to be annoying. Necessarily.

When most of the meal had been ingested, the king wiped his mouth upon a spotted napkin, cleaning the crumbs from his beard before turning to address his two guests. "I hope that you have been well taken care of." He seemed to notice that the plumbers were still in their old clothes, though significantly cleaner. He pieced that part of the puzzle together himself, deciding to not bother them by asking. It was obvious they were more comfortable in clothing they were familiar with.

Mario, who had been discreetly watching the king's daughter, who sat across from him, startled at the King's words. He blinked, turning a bit pink, though no one seemed to notice. "Wha- Oh. Yes. Yes, we have." He gave a light sigh, his face becoming noticeably apologetic. "I'm sorry we were such a bother before," he intoned sincerely. "We...we didn't know that-a you were...not the enemy..."

Toadsworth raised a curious, bushy eyebrow. "You did not know that we were at war at that time." His face held the smallest hint of suspicion. "Did you have reason to think we were an enemy, as you say?"

Mario wasn't looking up as he spoke, his eyes instead focused on his plate, which still held a small amount of indistinguishable food piled upon it. He didn't want to go into too much detail. It wasn't these peoples' concerns anyway. And yet, his bitterness that was hidden so deep inside slipped out just a little with his next words. "It just seemed like-a everything was against us. First we lose our home, then-a our world...What else were we supposed to think?" He looked up at the elder Toad with a sense of command, as though daring him to claim any different.

"That is understandable enough," the Mushroom King conceded, redirecting the plumber's gaze to himself. "But, all the same, you do understand why you must stay here for now? We...must be very careful." He paused, exchanging a look with both his adviser and Doctor Toadley. "Not to mention that, if you truly are on our side, the Koopas will be looking for you."

Mario flinched ever so slightly, feeling a sort of cold, nervous feeling well up inside of him. "Why is that?"

Toadsworth took that as his cue to take over the conversation. "As humans, you are a very...tempting target. The Koopas will see you as they see all humans, the rulers of kingdoms. They will also know that you are not from this world."

"O-Oh?" Luigi stuttered, his ease during dinner having now left him once again. He felt shaken, their situation just beginning to truly sink in. During the warmth of day, it really had seemed rather dream-like, but now, with the approaching darkness, things were falling into a clearer perspective. And far more depressive. "H-How's th-that?"

The king turned to the taller brother with a look of fatherly explanation. "The Koopas know each and every one of my ruling family, as well as those of the others. They will know at once that you are not from this place, and will naturally assume, as we did, that you are from somewhere else. As much as this seems to surprise you, it is very common thinking here, for the stories of the Olden Times are known from horizon to horizon."

There was a silence, in which Mario's eyes searched the tabletop in thought. He couldn't see a connection, not one that made sense that he liked. "But...what would they want-a with us? We don't rule a kingdom, so it's not-a like they could hold us for ransom. What other purpose would they want us for?"

Again Toadsworth glanced at his king, as though asking permission to answer. "There is...a prediction, from long ago," he began slowly, carefully. "It has been forgotten by most, other then those of more extensive knowledge, like our own Doctor Toadley here. It tells of two strangers...coming from the land of the royal ancestors to protect us...They may assume that it means you."

"You mentioned that before," Mario pondered. "...But that-a doesn't make any sense!"

Another long silence. The natives of this land were staring at him with a mix of sadness and curiosity, an odd combination. It was as though they still didn't quite trust them, and yet, they believed in them, that they were somehow connected to this prediction. It was as thought they feared them, and yet were willing to set their hope in them all at the same time. It just made no sense that Mario could understand. He himself wasn't sure of anything. Mario couldn't even come to terms with the world he was seeing around them. He still half expected to wake up at any moment and find it was nothing more than a dream. A nightmare, sprinkled with these colorful characters that, in a sense, balanced it away from that horrific aspect of being stranded. But Mario knew, deep down, that he was well awake. He was thinking rationally, and he could feel, smell, and taste this world. It was very real indeed.

Luigi seemed to have come to that conclusion as well, the situation all at once becoming very clear to him. His trembling had increased, his eyes wide as he broke the silence with a deeply frightened tone of voice. "M-Mario...that can't be us...We're g-going home...Right?"

"Of course we are," the older plumber snapped, a little bit more aggressively than he had intended. "We'll just have-a to find another way than how we got here." He again turned to the Mushroom King. "Please, it isn't right that-a we should be made to stay here. What does it matter whose-a side we're on? We're not on anyone's side! We just want-a to return to New York." His eyes held a pleading glaze, a hopefulness, but also a great fear. "Can't you let-a us go?"

The princess, who up until then had been watching silently, felt her heart go out to their two guests. She could easily read the desperation of the shorter one, and the growing horror of the taller. They meant no harm, she was certain, though she had no idea how she knew. It was as though their hearts were pure, and she could sense it. She hadn't said so, but she truly did believe that they were the ones from the Olden Time's prophecy. Something about the way she felt when she was with them. As though it was supposed to be. It was right. But she could also read the anguish in their hearts, just by looking at their faces. They were homesick, in a sense. They were unhappy. Slowly raising her eyes to the king, she braced herself and attempted to speak. "...Father..."

"Daughter," he responded sternly, but gently. "Be silent in this matter. It is not you who must decide." His brow was furrowed in deep thought, indecision and uncertainty clearly visible in his expression. It was a matter of trust. Or maybe that was what it had been all along. Only now, it didn't involve just them, and the plumbers in the room. If these two men were truly those predicted about in years past, than the future of the entire kingdom rested in whether they stayed or not. But he couldn't force them to stay. Could he? The king turned his worried eyes to Toadley, who had been waiting for just such an opportunity to give his thoughts on the subject.

"Is it impossible to fight against the grains of fate?" the doctor said softly, cryptically. "It is not. You cannot take one path when another has already been chosen for you to tread." Even if the brothers left, what was meant to happen, would happen. The choice was none of theirs to make. Whether his words portrayed that or not, Toadley could not be certain, but the king seemed to understand.

"Our _fate_ lies-a back in Brooklyn," Mario interceded forcefully. "I'm sure it-a does."

The king gave a long, cleansing sigh, taking Toadley's words to heart. "May it be as you say." He would trust to what was meant to be. If these two truly were those from the prophecy, then they would be back. Their destinies would not change. "I will let you go," he continued with decision. "But please wait until morning to leave. There are reports of many patrols in the forest. If you were to leave now, I would not be able to guarantee your safety."

Mario looked to Luigi, reluctant to wait even another minute. But they had barely escaped those villains before. It would be far too dangerous to do so again in the full darkness of night. Crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest, Mario gave his consent. "We will wait until morning. Then-a we're leaving." He rose from the table, motioning for Luigi to do so as well. "Thank you for all you've done...We really do appreciate it, it's-a just...we want to go back where-a we belong." He started away from the table, taking Luigi with him. "If you'll excuse us, we'd like-a to go to sleep now. It's been...a rough few days."

The king nodded at their retreating forms. "Of course. Go in peace. We shall see you in the morning, before you head out."

A moment later the light footsteps of the small humans had faded from the hearing of those in the dining hall. Mario and Luigi had headed off, down the hall and toward their new, designated room, leaving the king, his daughter, and the two Toads alone. There was a moment's silence, in which they all just stared toward the large oaken doors through which the plumbers had exited.

"Are you sure that it is they who will fulfill the prophecy?" Toadsworth broke the silence, somewhat doubtful, even though a moment ago he had mildly supported the idea. He turned to Toadley, raising a bushy brow questioningly.

The mysterious Toad shook his head slowly, his eyes still fixed on the door. "No. But is it a coincidence?" He turned to Toadsworth. "I think not."

Toadsworth looked between the doctor and his king, becoming slightly agitated. "Then we shouldn't let them leave. They must stay here. To carry out their fate."

"Fate does not need anyone's help," the Mushroom King answered, his voice strong and certain. "Things will happen the way they are supposed to. And nothing they, nor we, can do will stop it. We will just have to wait and see." He looked up sharply at the movement to his right. "Daughter? Where are you going?"

The Princess looked slightly startled, as though caught in the action of something wrong. She blushed, pausing at the end of the table. "To my chamber. I'm tired, and I think I'll turn in early. It's been a long day."

The king studied his daughter carefully. Her large, blue eyes stared into his own, shy and beautiful. Just like her mother's had once been. But those days were far gone, as was the queen he now so missed. It was amazing how so much like her the princess was sometimes. Her spirit and kindness glowed within those sapphire orbs, full of wonder and heart. He knew that her curiosity was getting to her. He also knew that she was not just planning on going to bed. The two men were like something out of a childhood story to her, and that was something she could hardly leave alone, and her father knew it. After a long pause, he nodded. "Very well." He smiled. "But if you must go to see them, take one of your maids with you. Goodnight."

The Princess's face lit up, as did the joy in her eyes. She ran around the table back to the king's side, placing a gentle kiss on his bearded cheek. "Goodnight, Father." And then, with that, she ran from the dining hall, leaving her father, Doctor Toadley, and Toadsworth to their own devices.

* * *

Mario stomped down the carpeted hall, hands clenched at his sides. He mumbled under his breath, his voice rising and lowering heatedly, his foul mood quite evident. Toads wandering the corridors placed their backs against the walls until he passed, not wishing to get in his way. By this time, they all knew of the two strangers and had excepted their presence. But that didn't mean that they wished to get too close to them, especially when the short one was so very angered.

"Pft! All this-a nonsense about fate and prophecies!" Mario threw his hands over his head as he stalked the halls, a despondent Luigi following slowly in his wake. The younger brother could feel his hope and courage crumbling with each of his brother's upset words that rang out before him. "All a bunch of tangled spaghetti!" Mario declared. "We belong in New York. And we will not-a rest until we are back there, getting our shop back from-a that bully, Foreman Spike. Right, Luigi?" When he received no answer, he turned around sharply, his anger all at once becoming concern. He found that Luigi had stopped several paces behind, head lowered and shoulders shaking as he succumb to his fear and sorrow. Mario all at once felt terribly guilty. Here he had been, venting his own frustrations, when Luigi was surely just as upset as he was. Maybe even more so.

Carefully, Mario doubled back, coming to stand before his troubled brother, trying to look up into his face and meet his eyes, which he found to be shut tight. "Luigi?" He reached out with a hand comfortingly. "Hey...it's okay..."

But Luigi roughly pushed away his brothers arm, his distress instantly more pronounced. "N-No, it's-a not..."

"Of course it is," the older brother insisted stubbornly, trying to hide his surprise at Luigi's unusually aggressive shove, at least for him. "We're going back home tomorrow. This-a whole nightmare," he waved a hand at the world around them, "will soon be behind us."

Luigi choked on something between a laugh and a sob. "But what-a if we can't get-a home, Mario?" he demanded, his accent becoming thicker in his stress. "We don't even know how to get-a back. What if we're stuck here?!" His voice had risen in pitch, and his eyes had left their gaze on the floor to pierce into Mario's own, demanding an answer.

Mario stared into those terrified blue eyes that reflected his own, even if he was far better at hiding it. He closed his mouth, determination taking the place of his worry. "I won't let-a that happen."

"You don't have control over that! None of us do! M-Mario, don't you understand?!" Luigi cried out in a breathless shout. His arms had wrapped around himself, as though he were cold. "They said-a we _can't_ get back!"

"They didn't say that...exactly..."

"We'll never get home! We'll never see our shop again! I-I don't-a know what we'll do...Surely we can't stay here!"

Frowning, Mario suddenly reached out and grabbed his brother by the shoulders, giving him a rough shake. "Luigi! Get a grip! I will get us home! No matter what-a happens! I will!"

"How?!" Luigi yanked away. His gaze had become even wilder as his fear consumed him, while anger was slowly taking over the demeanor of his only living family. "How, Mario?!"

"I'll figure it out!"

"How?!"

"Luigi, that's-a not your concern!"

"I think it-a is!"

"Oh! Why don't-a you just-!" With a growl, Mario stopped himself from saying what had almost slipped out. He was done. This argument was useless. Mumbling in a string of fast, angry Italian, he turned and stomped down the hall, leaving his brother behind. Luigi's anger subsided at once, fear filling him once more.

"Wait! Where are-a you going?!"

"To calm down!" Mario shouted over his shoulder. He didn't dare say more, knowing that his next words would not be helpful no matter how much better he thought they would make him feel. He stomped off until he was far out of Luigi's sight, losing himself on purpose in the catacombs of the palace walls.

* * *

 _Knock Knock_

The sound seemed abnormally loud in the dark mood of the nearly empty room of the bedchamber. It echoed off the high ceiling, making it sound low and hollow. Almost as low and hollow as Luigi felt himself. The plumber looked up from gazing into the flames of the fireplace in his and Mario's room. He had settled in the cushioned chair before it, his mind wandering in misery and sorrow. His heart still stung, from his fight with his brother, but also with the various fears that seemed to keep piling up in his mind. But the gentle knocking upon the door caught his attention, and he hurriedly stood to his feet, hands clutching each other in front of him. Somehow, he hoped it was Mario, but something deep down told him it wasn't. Tentatively, he called out in answer.

"C-Come in?"

The door opened slowly, heavy on its great, brass hinges. A white gloved hand came into view, followed by pink material, and then finally the kind face of Princess Toadstool. Her blue eyes met his, her smile only slightly faltering when she saw his somber expression and pale complexion. "Hello...Is this a bad time?" She suddenly felt as though she were intruding. The man looked positively stricken. Which also compelled her to stay. He obviously needed to not be alone. Not like this.

"N-No," Luigi stuttered, waving her in awkwardly. "What-a can I do for you, Princess?" He looked up at her with respect, shorter then her by a good four or five inches. It gave him an almost child-like quality.

The princess came into the room carefully, almost as though she were on tip-toe. A small Toad, female by her coloring and manner, came in as well, though she seemed half asleep. It was late, and the Toads had worked hard preparing the meal earlier that evening. The excitement had been extensive. She scurried in, plopping down on the carpeted floor with her back against the wall. Within a moment, she was snoring softly. The princess gave a shrug, having at least obeyed her father's wishes in having her maid accompany her to the chamber.

Shutting the door, she folded her hands in front of her, facing Luigi with a shy smile. "Well, it's not really something you can do for me. I was just worried about you two. You seemed...upset."

Luigi's face dropped the fake sense of normality, sadness finally showing through clearly. He gave a sigh, backing up until he was once more sitting in the large chair by the fire. He rested his elbows on his knees, fingers intertwined tightly as he stared down at his booted feet. "I want-a to go home," he explained shakily. "I want-a to go back...w-where I belong. Mario wants-a to leave to...but..." His voice broke. "I just can't see how..." His hands began to shake as his distress deepened.

"Ah." The princess came forward to kneel in front of him, covering his quivering hands with her own, steady, gloved ones. "I wouldn't be so certain of that. I mean, what were the chances of you coming here at all? Maybe you were just lucky. And if so, perhaps you'll get lucky again. But if there is one thing I know, it's that things never happen for no reason." She smiled sweetly into Luigi's startled face. She lowered her eyes a moment, backing away a little to make him a little less uncomfortable. She adjusted her pink dress, her legs hidden beneath the puff of fabric around her, before she took on a more conversational tone. "Mar-eo? Is that your friend?"

"We're brothers." Luigi blushed, though he didn't know why. He had never been very comfortable around girls.

The princess giggled musically, managing to bring a smile to his face. "That explains a lot," she laughed. Her eyes held amusement. "And what is your name?"

"I-I'm L-L-Luigi...It's nice to m-meet you, P-Princess." Not knowing what else to do, he tried a slight bow, despite the fact that he was sitting. Again the princess laughed, making him blush brightly.

"You, Looeegi, are very sweet," she said cheerfully, drawing his name out as she had for Mario's, but Luigi was too embarrassed to care. "We don't get visitors very often. Especially humans. My closest relatives from Sarasaland only visit once a year, if that." Her expression was sincere."Even if you are leaving tomorrow...I'm glad to have met you."

Luigi only blushed more.

The princess's smile became a slight frown, her eyes looking up and scanning the room before returning to the plumber. "But where is your brother?"

Luigi's face became pale again almost instantly, his eyes filling with sorrow again. "H-He went off for a walk in the palace. He's...He's mad at-a me."

The princess seemed surprised. "Mad? But why?"

Luigi seemed to shrink even more into the chair's thick cushions. "B-B-Because, I'm a coward!" he blurted, his face contorting in a wince that she wasn't sure was one of pain or grief. "I-I don't-a believe we can make it back home...I-I'm _afraid_ we won't. Mario's always so confident. Nothing ever gets-a _him_ down...Well, almost nothing. I-I just wish th-that-a I could be like h-him..." His voice faded out in abject misery.

The princess's heart instantly went out to the little fellow, as he let his head fall into his hands, dejected. "Well, no one is meant to be like anyone else," she supplied soothingly. "If we were, we'd all be the same. And what kind of world would that be?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "I'll go find your brother. Maybe I can talk him into coming back here. Alright?"

From between the plumber's hands came a muffled, "A-Alright..."

The princess stood determinedly, walking toward the door. She nudged her maid lightly with her shoe, waking her with a jolt. "I'll be back in a moment," she instructed. She glanced toward Luigi, who still sat slumped in the chair by the fireplace. "Keep an eye on him, Toadette." She eased the door open, slipping out and closing it behind her.

Toadette gave a yawn, before settling back against the wall, falling into slumber once more.

* * *

Mario had calmed down significantly since the argument. He had wandered the halls at first, moving up and down them at an angry, rushed pace. But as his fury had subsided, so had his speed, and he had ended up standing by a window, looking out forlornly at the darkness stretching beyond it.

And that was where the princess found him.

"That window faces the east. Come morning, a beautiful sunrise will warm this whole corridor."

Mario startled, turning to face her with a look of fear, but then it eased into the grief that had existed before, only slightly more guarded. He turned back to the window, gazing into the darkness. "Sometimes, it-a feels like the sun will never rise," he said softly, his words making it clear that he wasn't just talking of the physical stretch of black.

The princess moved to stand beside him. If she had thought that Luigi was short for a human, Mario was even more so, coming only barely as high as her shoulders. She followed his gaze out the window into the starless and moonless night. Clouds had rolled in at some point, blocking out the thousands and thousands of lumas that usually lit the sky above. "It surely can't be as bleak as all that," she insisted.

Mario sighed tiredly, sliding a hand down the side of his face. "Princess...I just don't-a understand any of this. None of this makes sense. I feel like I've tumbled into some sort of crazy dream or fairy tale. It's-a like the stories that my nonna* used to tell to me when I was just a little boy. And yet...and yet everyone seems-a to think we're supposed to stay here. But we can't!" He lowered his eyes and closed them, reigning in his anger. The princess watched worriedly, more for him than herself. Somehow, she could not fear these strangers.

She let loose a sigh of her own, then a small chuckle, regaining the plumber's attention. "When I was a little girl, I was told fairy tales of people like you. People who came from the world of my ancestors."

"Like-a that prophecy everyone seems-a so obsessed with?" Mario asked dryly.

The Princess nodded, serious. "Yes. Exactly." She frowned slightly. "Look. I don't understand anything about what you are going through. And I don't know if you truly are the men in the Old Stories. But what I do know is that everything will work out. It always does."

Mario gave a disheartened chuckle. "I wish that-a I could be so confident."

"That's funny," the woman in pink observed gravely. "Your brother wishes that he had the confidence that you have, and yet you feel you have none." She leaned forward, her eyes boring into his own. Her voice was stern, but gentle. "It sounds to me that you need each other's confidence, don't you? That's what family is for, isn't it? To help each other through hard times?" She straightened, frowning just a little. "Because I know of one older brother who could really use your comfort right now."

Mario looked startled. Then guilty. Then a small smile blossomed into a gentle grin. "Little brother."

"Hmm?" The princess gave him a look, confused.

"He's-a my little brother," Mario explained. He sighed, in a cleansing way. "And-a you're right. I owe Luigi an apology." He gave her a sincere gaze, their eyes meeting. "Thank you, Princess."

"Peach."

"Huh?" Now it was Mario's turn to be confused. "But I-I thought-a you said your name was Princess T-"

"Toadstool," she finished, chuckling at his bewilderment. "That's my family's name. My first name is Peach. Princess Peach Toadstool."

Mario's confusion turned into pleasure. He liked that name a lot better. Peach. It fit her.

"Now," the princess smiled encouraging, turning to face the way she had come. "Let's go back to L-"

But her sentence was cut off when a shadowed figure suddenly jumped through the darkened window. Leaping off the sill onto the carpeted hall between the two humans, a creature, like the ones Mario and Luigi had encountered in the Mushroom Forest only a short while back, released a vicious growl. It, like the others Mario had met, held a large hammer in its hands, its turtle-like eyes narrowing on him like a gunner focusing on a target. Before Mario could recover from his surprise, the creature swung, catching the plumber in the chest with the heavy weapon.

Mario felt the impact hit his ribs and front with tremendous strength, forcing the breath from him. It threw him backward, making him reel back into the opposite wall of the hall. He vaguely heard the princess scream, though whether it was because of the hit he had received or something else, he couldn't tell. He slid down the wall to the floor, legs folded beneath him, his vision blurry and chest aching with a dull fire. He couldn't tell what was happening, and he had to close his eyes against the pain.

When he finally managed to open his eyes again, he realized that he must have passed out, seeing that the sun's rays, golden and warm, were now shining through the window upon him. Forcing himself up, he wobbled on unsteady feet, one hand held to his burning chest, and another pressed to the back of his head, where he had hit it against the hard stone wall. There was a little blood, but nothing too severe.

"P-Princess..." he called weakly, his tone gaining strength and desperation as he started to become more and more conscious of his surrounding. "Princess? _Princess?!_ "

And then he saw it. Sparkling against the crimson carpet of the hall, lay the princess's crown, on its side, as though it were as it had landed. Mario's eyes widened, his heart quickening as he began piecing the hazy events back together. A cold feeling filled him, sitting in his gut like a heavy stone. And then, all at once, he was jolted into motion, taking off at an unsteady run down the hall, his distressed voice echoing all throughout the palace as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"The enemy! They've got the princess! The enemy has got-a the princess!"

* * *

 ***Nonna - "Grandmother" in Italian. My family is actually part Italian on my father's side, and I call my father's mother (my grandmother) Nana, a variation of the Italian title. ;)**

 **The events in this chapter and forward until further notice will be based on the game "Super Mario Bros."**

 **Despite my use of 'fate' in this story, I just wanted to say that I don't believe in fate (as in fate alone). But I do believe that our lives are known by God, and that He has a special plan for each and every one of our lives. :)**


	11. Whispered Callings

The very mood of the castle was different, traded from a warm, vibrant glow to a damp, frightened depression. It were as though the very foundations of its bright and cheery atmosphere had been stripped of all light. Fear reigned there now. Fear and a settled darkness. And it had fallen so suddenly. It had swept into every corner, every crevice, taking away joy and covering it with worry. Every heart, from the lowliest servant to the King himself, was heavy and dark. Hope, if there had ever been any, was now gone. Replaced with a helplessness that was barely tolerable. And, to be honest, it left Mario and Luigi feeling lost in the resulting chaos.

When Mario had stumbled into the King's court that morning, shouting at the top of his lungs that the Princess had been taken, it had caused quite a stir. But when he shared what he had witnessed, of the attack and the Princess's disappearance, things had really changed. It was as though his words had suddenly sealed the castle up tight. Orders were shouted, individuals summoned, and theories shot out, all with terrible energy. Mario had backed into a corner to get out of the way, and remained there until Luigi arrived, having heard the commotion. And, even then, Mario remained where he was. He somehow felt responsible for what had happened. He had been the one with the Princess when she had been taken. He couldn't help thinking that he could have done more. Somehow saved her.

Now it was too late.

Mario stood very still, alongside his brother, to the right of the great, oaken doors of the audience hall of the King. Not feeling comfortable actually entering, the two plumbers were content to stand beside the threshold, watching and listening to the frantic voices that had gathered in the room within. The Mushroom King had called together all his trusted advisers, generals, and whatever other individuals of importance the kidnapping of one's daughter called for. The audience hall was filled to the brim with toads, and various other creatures that Mario did not recognize, and who all made him exceedingly nervous. The King sat before them, on his thrown, looking far older than he had before. It was as though the stress of the morning had aged him. Dark lines sagged beneath his eyes, a sign that he was tired, even though it was barely even midday. The stress was palpable, and dug into the souls of all present.

"We must act!"

"No, that would be too dangerous! What if they killed the Princess out of spite?!"

"Don't be a fool! The Koopa King would never destroy a pawn of such value! Er...begging His Majesty's pardon."

"No! We should-"

"I think-"

"Let's just-"

The ceaseless chatter and yelling over one another was grating on the nerves, and it wasn't long before the King suddenly stood, in a fast, violent manner that caught everyone's attention and put an end to the bickering. "I did not call you here to try and outdo one another in a battle of strategy! I asked you here to work together to find a way to save my daughter! If you can't do that, then get out! Go find an answer for me, and then bring it here! Do your squabbling someplace else! OUT!"

Toads scattered, creatures skittered, and critters scurried, all trying to evade the King's sudden wrath. He never would harm them, of that his loyal subjects were certain, but no one wished to stand within distance of his anger. Within moments the audience room was cleared, all but the King, Toadsworth, Doctor Toadley, and the two unnoticed plumbers in the corner. The sudden silence was heavy and extremely thick. The Mushroom King raised a hand to his temple with a frustrated sigh, messaging it gently as he turned and sat down heavily upon his throne. Even then, he kept his gaze buried in his palm, trying to ease the pounding in his head, as well as his heart. Toadsworth seemed uncertain, like he wanted to try and encourage his superior, but had no words to give. Doctor Toadley was little different. The room seemed frozen in time, fragmented, except for their hearts, which all beat as one.

It was then that Mario took a tentative step forward. It was instinctive, and even as he did it his mind shuddered and demanded to know why. He would have much rather preferred to stay where he was, unnoticed and forgotten by the door. But something drew him, and he couldn't seem to fight it. Luigi gave him a startled look, obviously intimidated by the royal's anger, and reached out a hand to try and stop his brother from advancing, before he paused and then drew his hand to his chest instead. Mario returned his gaze, uncertain as well, but then took another step forward. Then another. And another. Until he stood in the middle of the empty room, his reflection visible on the polished floor beneath his feet. It recreated his ruffled appearance, staring up at him, trying to gather himself for the right thing to say. Toadsworth and Toadley noticed him first, their eyes latching onto him with something akin to surprise and curiosity.

Finally, Mario steeled himself, and spoke. "Your...Majesty?"

The King dropped his hand from his eyes, looking both exhausted and annoyed as he lifted his gaze to settle it on the short individual. His eyes softened a bit as he recognized the plumber, but that was only replaced by emotional pain when Mario's presence only reminded him of his daughter's absence. He replaced his hand over his eyes, releasing yet another heartrending sigh. "This..." He swallowed. "This is not a good time. I know you wish to return home, but-"

"That's...not what I was-a going to say," Mario interrupted softly. In afterthought, he realized he probably shouldn't have interrupted a king at all, but his heart was heavy, and the pain in their host's eyes had cut him deep. That hopelessness. That fear. Mario knew those emotions. He had struggled through them more than once in his lifetime. And now, to see them in someone else, it seemed to call to him. A whispered call for help that only he could hear.

And Mario had never turned away from a call for help.

"I wanted to ask...what-a we can do to help."

The King's gaze snapped back up to him, gaining that same almost startled look that had now spread across Toadsworth and Toadley's expressions. The royal looked over the young man, taking in his bedraggled appearance for the first time that day. The fellow was decidedly pale, dark circles having gathered beneath his eyes, as though he hadn't gotten any sleep. His clothes were wrinkled, and a button was missing, causing one of the straps on the odd, blue garment to hang down behind him, unlatched from its designated place. His brown hair was ruffled and unkempt, sticking out at strange angles. But the most distressing thing was the large bruise, and blotch of dark red that resided just left of his forehead. It peeked from beneath his hair, half hidden in a way that looked deliberate. The King frowned.

"You're hurt."

Mario mentally winced, both because he had forgotten, and because he had not wanted the King to know. He had not wanted anyone to know. He hadn't been able to check himself, and so had no idea how bad it was, but if it could be noticed from that distance, it had to be more than a light scratch. His head hurt in more than one place. And he wasn't going to mention that he believed the back of his head had been injured as well. He was certain it was nothing serious. Raising a hand to the injury, Mario very lightly touched his fingertips to it. Most of the blood had dried, but the smallest trace of red still showed on his hand when he pulled it away. There was no sense hiding it. "Your daughter's kidnapper got the better of-a me," he explained with a hint of embarrassment. He quickly switched the conversation back to the Princess and the problem at hand. "What are-a you going to do?"

The King became distant once more, releasing a shuddering sigh. "King Koopa has left us with very little choice. He knows that I would do anything to save my daughter, and he will surely use that to his advantage."

"What is it that-a he wants?"

The royal bowed his head, eyes closing. "My kingdom. He wishes to rule, like any tyrant, as much of the world as possible." He frowned. "But I also fear he wishes to do battle."

Mario blinked. He could not understand why anyone would want to cause a war. War took lives, on both sides. War created fear and devastation. Back home, his own country battled against others, fighting a war that was both long and frightening*. It left many in poverty, and darkened the days to a dull grey. Life had become hard, and routines, with no changes and very little hope. Why would someone want that? Why would anyone aim for such a state? Though, Mario supposed that was what a villain like this King Koopa would want. After all, if one had superior numbers, or technology, or weapons, there would be very little fear of war on his side of the battle. But it would be horrific for the fighters of the Mushroom Kingdom, who, from Mario's observation, would stand very little chance.

"Why would-a he wish to do battle?"

"The Koopa are a race that pride themselves in military prowess. They have been feared by many in the past, and in recent years have managed to conquer a few smaller regions. It was only a matter of time before they would turn their gaze here. King Koopa sees my kingdom as a great prize to be won, but he wants to gain it in glorious battle." The King gave a huff of disdain. "And my daughter is his key to my weakness. The key to my kingdom. And the key to our doom." He shook his head, the grief and vulnerability returning full force. "We will have to attack. He has left no other choice. If we sit and wait, nothing but allowing my daughter to remain in danger longer will occur. It is what King Koopa wants, and I'm afraid it is what he shall get." The King lowered his head once more, as though his very own words were laying some enormous burden on his shoulders. "It is all we can do."

Doctor Toadley stood perfectly still, having been listening in silence up until this point. He had been watching the young man that stood before the thrown, as emotion after readable emotion crossed his face and danced in his eyes. Such passion for life the doctor had never known. The short fellow truly cared. He really, truly did. His face was a battle of feelings, something akin to a mix of nerves and pained uncertainty. It was as though he were considering something that was proving to be incredibly hard to do. Concentration focused, and yet, at the same time, fractured. After a moment, Toadley realized what it was that the young man was considering. It filled him with a fondness, but also a small foreboding. With a nod of his shrouded head, Toadley turned to address his king. "Your Majesty, would it perhaps be wise to consider an alternative? Yes it would."

The Mushroom King lifted his gaze and settled it on the odd toad. "I can see no way around it. But if you know of some way, then, by all means, please tell us." His tone was quivering, and held very little hope. He didn't expect any revelations. For him, he already felt certain there was no way out of the situation unscathed. The dark depression that had befallen him could not be lightened, and the burden was crushing. Crushing the very life from his soul. All he could see was his daughter's face, frightened and alone, looking so much like her mother that it gripped at his soul with a bitter twist. It drained him, and he felt his hope slip even further from his grasp.

Toadley sensed his mood and frowned. He did not fear the king. An old seer such as himself held no fears that could be inflicted in anger or hate, but was protected by the ages. His knowledge of the magic arts was extensive, and left him above anyone else's power, at least as far as this particular room was concerned. Scurrying to stand before the thrown in the manner all toads seemed to walk, he came to stand, eyeing the king warningly. It was a look that basically told that the royal was being childish. As though Toadley believed the solution were as simple as anything. "Should we sent someone to rescue Princess Toadstool? Yes, we should. Should war and fighting be an option? Indeed, but not as the tactic, but as a distraction."

Toadsworth cocked an eyebrow at the strange individual. It was only by pure force of will that the adviser tolerated the doctor's company, and that tolerance was now wearing thin. "What are you chunnering on about?" he huffed irritably. "What makes you think that will do any good?"

Toadley's mystic eyes turned toward him with a flash of his own irritation, annoyed by the other's shallow understanding. But, to his surprise and pleasure, Mario had understood.

"You mean, send a few people off-a to get the Princess?" he inquired carefully. "While the army fights the Koopas as a distraction so that-a they can get through?" It actually made sense. Mario had always been one for reasoning. Well, not always, as he could be quite impulsive, but when something needed solving, he was usually very methodical about it. Toadley, in his own, creepy way, functioned the same way. He was seeing it from a fresh perspective. One that actually contained a scrap of hope.

Toadley nodded, a hidden smile growing on his face. His magical senses told him that the young man was starting to give in to the proposition he was considering. This was the moment of truth. The moment that would be the deciding factor of the old prophecy. The moment when fate would either show its hand, or whether it would be made apparent that these two men were nothing but a mistake. Strangers lost in their land. Toadley became silent and expectant. He was very certain of how it would play out, but he was still curious to watch. Watch and observe.

The King shook his head weakly. "It would do little good. I need every soldier here, to defend the kingdom. I can spare no one." There was a long, heavy silence. The room contained nothing but the soft sound of breathing, and the awkward shuffling of Luigi's feet in the corner. The quiet stretched into what felt like forever, before Mario's unusually timid voice suddenly shattered it like glass.

"I'll go."

Luigi almost fainted. _No. No, no, no, Mario!_ Coming out from his corner, the taller brother found himself at Mario's side and laying a hand on the shorter one's shoulder. Mario refused to acknowledge Luigi's touch, knowing that if he looked back he would not be able to handle his brother's frightened expression. He couldn't afford to take it back. Now that he had said it, he was all the more determined. Princess Toadstool...no, Princess _Peach_ , had shown him a kindness that he had not been given in a very long time. Having grown up in a world where everyone was out for themselves, Mario had missed that tender care that she had exhibited toward him and Luigi. Now that she was in trouble, he couldn't just go back to New York and turn his back on her. Something had to be done. He might not be much of a warrior, but he was willing to do what he could to help these people. To help her.

All eyes were fixed on the plumber. Toadley was smiling beneath his veil, eyes focused on the young man with a look of satisfaction. He had just been proven right. Toadsworth was utterly speechless, eyes wide and filled with complete surprise, his spectacles balancing on the bridge of his non-existent nose. And Luigi just looked plain terrified. But it was the king who seemed most shocked. He had risen his head, eyes boring into Mario's very soul with an intensity that almost made the plumber back down. Standing slowly, the royal made his way down the thrown's row of steps until he was directly in front of the small man, looking down at him with stern eyes.

Mario tried to contain his sudden twinge of fear. He never truly realized how compact he was until someone intimidated him. His outgoing spirit usually made up for his height. But, right now, wishing that he could just disappear, he was able to see himself in scale compared to everyone else around him. But, besides the slight widening of his eyes and a hardly perceivable shift backward, Mario stood firm, matching the king's gaze with one of his own.

The Mushroom King blinked slowly, turning all at once in a dismissive way. "You know not what you ask," was all he said, returning to the steps of his thrown.

Mario cocked his head, stepping forward, a hand extended. "Maybe not...but what could it-a hurt?"

"My answer is no."

The plumber flinched back at the stiff answer, his eyes fixed on the royal's back. He couldn't understand what he had done wrong. He would have thought that the king would be glad for the help. That he would appreciate some kind of plan to put in action to save his daughter, but, instead, his reaction seemed almost angry. Frustrated. It didn't make sense.

Toadley was as equally confused. He glared up at the king, his eyes demanding an explanation. "Why is it that y-"

"Because!" the royal suddenly bellowed, his temper now released like the floodgates of rage. "I will not be responsible for the deaths of two outsiders! I will not stand for it, and that is final!" He finally turned with a violent jerk of his head, giving Toadley a cold stare. "I gave you sanctuary in this castle, Doctor; don't make me wish I had not!" The wrathful proclamation echoed throughout the chamber, probably loud enough to be heard for several floors. The anger stayed a moment more in the king's eyes before it faded and the grief returned, as he averted his eyes back to his thrown, motioning absently to Toadsworth as he did so. "Take them back to their chambers, and make sure they _stay_ there. You are all dismissed." He sat down heavily in his chair once more, resting his eyes in the palm of his hand.

"But-"

Mario was about to object, when Toadsworth moved to his side and lightly grabbed his wrist, shaking his head urgently. Mario glanced back up at the king with a desperate air. But then he relented and allowed himself to be turned and led toward the door. Luigi, badly shaken, followed, hands clutched at his chest and hunched over slightly, trying to make himself as small as possible. In this manner, Mario, Luigi, and Toadsworth left the audience chamber. Toadley, however, remained a few seconds more, before he too left, but through a different exit. The king was left alone, with his own fearful, stubborn thoughts.

* * *

Toadsworth led the two humans back to their room rather guiltily. He felt sorry for them, for having offered their help only to be treated with such an angry reply. He knew that they could not possibly understand his Majesty's reasons behind it. He could see how frightened the taller one, Luigi, was because of it. The shorter man, Mario, just seemed distressed. They all walked in silence, eyes glued to the floor and expressions betraying nothing but confusion. When they finally made it back to the chamber that had been given to them, Toadsworth opened the door to allow them both in, feeling more like a warden welcoming prisoners back to their cell. A very luxurious cell, but a cell nonetheless.

Mario and Luigi entered without protest, coming to stand just inside the threshold. It was then that Mario lifted his gaze and gave the old toad such a look that Toadsworth could keep silent no longer.

"I beg you forgive his Majesty. He didn't mean any harm by his words."

The smaller brother's eyes grew wide with indignation. "Didn't mean any _harm?!_ " he yelled, his own anger finally released. "He's-a hurting _everyone_! We offered our help! We gave-a him an option, but he turned us down! His daughter is-a in danger, and yet all-a he does is sit there!" He didn't notice Luigi shrinking back behind him. "He may not have-a meant harm, but he has caused it!"

Toadsworth closed his eyes as though ashamed and grieved. "You don't know his reasons, Young Master."

Mario blinked at being called a master. As far as he knew, he wasn't a master of anything. Especially now that Foreman Spike had taken all they had ever owned. He let the words slid, instead refocusing on the situation. "Then enlighten me! I _want_ to understand! I _want_ to help!" Mario's anger turned into sadness, his tone suddenly pleading. "I just want to help."

There was a long pause, before Toadsworth nodded slowly. He entered the room, closing the door behind him, though he didn't leave the comfort of its side. "His Majesty has not faced such trying times since the first year of his reign," Toadsworth began softly, as though he were afraid he would be heard. "He was newly married to his lovely queen. She was kind, and just, but above all else, brave." The old toad's formidable, white mustache wrinkled above a hidden smile. His gaze was fond as memories came back to him from those days long gone. "She treated all fairly, and was the pillar of strength that balanced the Mushroom King. She was...well loved in this kingdom. Greatly loved."

Luigi's eyes seemed to reflect the pain that was all at once in Toadsworth's face. "...Something happened," he whispered sadly. "Didn't it?"

The old toad nodded, somehow looking even older. "When the kingdom was endangered by an outside threat, not all that unlike the one we face now. A small village, not far from here, was captured, and its inhabitants were facing what was certain to be their deaths."

"What happened?" Mario asked when the toad paused a little longer than he liked. But while Toadsworth seemed to be gathering the strength to go on, the smaller plumber pieced it together. "She went out, didn't she? She went out-a to save them."

Toadsworth nodded again. "She left the castle, against his Majesty's orders. Her heart told her what to do, and she followed it, even if it went against the man she loved most." The old toad blinked back his emotions. "She was not human you know. Not fully. Not all royals here are. Over the years, some have mixed with other kinds, and true human blood has become rare. It is probably that fact that saved the Queen's life, at least in the beginning. She succeeded in saving the village, rallying her subjects to fight back. They won, but at a terrible price. Her Highness was badly wounded, by a magic that cripples the very soul. While she returned home, and lived for some time, it was the dark spell that eventually destroyed her." A pause. "Though not before she had given birth to the king's only heir."

Mario whispered the name before he could catch himself. "Peach."

" _Princess_ Peach," Toadsworth corrected sternly, before his tone softened once more. "The king blamed himself for the loss of the most beloved person in his life, believing that, had he sent an army right away, she would not have grown impatient and left to fight alone. He also believed that, had he forced her to stay, she would not have gone into such danger."

Mario and Luigi lowered their gazes to the floor, all previous fear and anger at the king's behavior now gone, replaced with pity and sympathy. That explained a lot about the king's character. His strange reluctance, and hesitating nature. And the sorrow that seemed permanently gleaming in his eyes, even when he was smiling. This was an old wound. A very old, but deep wound. A wound that Mario, somehow, had pressed into when he had offered to help.

"But what has that got-a to do with us?" he couldn't help asking. He could understand the king being upset over the loss of his wife and the kidnapping of his daughter, but why should he care about him and Luigi risking their lives? He hardly knew them. The day before he had even considered them possible enemies. What had Mario said that had brought about such a strong reaction?

Toadsworth gave a sigh. "You are strangers in this land, and therefore under his care. When you offered to go and rescue the Princess, you used very close to the same words the Queen had, when she had first asked to lead a rescue of the village."

Mario winced. "But...we're not even related...We're not even from-a here. He isn't responsible for us."

"He believes he is," Toadsworth muttered sadly. He lifted his gaze to meet Mario's. "I'm sorry, but I have my orders. You...must remain here." His eyes held a strong regret. Mario tried to understand, but all he could think of was the injustice of it all.

"What are-a you going to do?! Lock us in?!" His voice trembled with a mix of rage, and a barely grasped understanding. He could accept that the king had had a hard life. He could understand the grief of losing someone you loved, after all, he and Luigi had lost both their parents when they were little more than young teens. But that did not give the king the right to force them into a chamber and keep them there. It just wasn't right.

Toadsworth cringed. "I-I'm sorry..." He opened the door and slipped out, too swiftly to be stopped.

Mario lurched forward, grabbing the door ring desperately, only to be greeted by the sound of a heavy bolt fixing the portal in place. It was now locked. He could not, no matter how hard he tried, force it open. Out of anger, the plumber gave the door a firm kick with his boot, ignoring the pain it caused him when it thumped against the solid, immovable surface. "Let us out!" he bellowed, his voice breaking with the intensity. "You've got-a no right to do this!" But his cries went unheard. With a sharp sigh of frustration, Mario turned his back against the door, sliding down to a sitting position on the carpeted floor, his face flushed with anger. He scowled at his hands, though for what reason he should direct his frustration to them not even he knew. Perhaps because he knew they weren't strong enough to free them. Weak, useless things.

The plumber sat that way for several moments, eyes boring into his palms with passionate rage. But it slowly subsided to depressive hopelessness, filled with an ache in his heart that was almost crippling. It was then that a slight movement from in front of him caught his eye, and he looked up sadly.

Luigi stood stiff and uncomfortable, eyes fixed on Mario with a mix of fear and emotional distress. His hands gripped each other in front of his chest, his uneven breaths showing that he was close to panicking. Or, perhaps, he already had, and this was him starting to calm down. He met his brothers gaze with desperation and questioning, but seemed too afraid to start a conversation. Mario saved him the trouble.

Lowering his gaze back to his hands with a weak, tired sigh, Mario closed his eyes with a mental wince. "I'm sorry, Weegie. This is all-a my fault. I should have gotten us out of-a here while we had the chance..." His head seemed to lower even further. "I'm sorry for last night...For everything...We wouldn't even be in-a this place if it weren't for me...I'm so sorry." He fell into a pained silence, too ashamed to look up at his younger brother, for fear of seeing accusation in him. But then, after a moment, he felt rather than saw or heard Luigi move forward. A presence moving toward him, sitting down beside him, before Luigi's voice shakily offered him comfort.

"It's not-a your fault, Mario."

Mario looked up sharply, letting his hands flop down at his sides in obvious frustration. "Don't try to make-a me fell better. It's-a my fault, and you know it. If I hadn't offered to go after the Princess, the king wouldn't have-a felt the need to keep us out of it all. We could have-a just waited all this out, and left when the chance came. But instead..." His teeth ground in self anger as he clenched his hands. He fell silent, too upset to trust himself with an intelligent sentence. Or at least one that wouldn't make matters worse.

Luigi had calmed down considerably, his own fears distracted by his concern for his brother. He recognized Mario's lowest low, something he hadn't seen since that morning back at the shop in New York, back before any of this had all gone wrong. Before the terrors beneath the city, before Foreman Spike, before they had ended up in this crazy world. None of that had happened on purpose. Mario had tried to stop each of those things from happening. He had tried his _hardest_. But things like that couldn't be expected. They couldn't even be imagined. That was why Luigi was sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that Mario was not to blame.

They sat quietly a moment, before Luigi offered another subject, though not too far from the main problem. "You like-a the Princess." Not a question, and not an accusation, but an observation. Mario flicked his gaze sideways to his brother and then back to the floor, his face flushing a bright shade of pink.

"W-Why do you say that?"

Luigi shrugged slightly. "Well, you normally don't try so hard to do something for someone, unless you like-a them."

"I...She came and talked-a with me last night," Mario offered. He sighed. "No one has done that-a for me since..."

Since there mother had died. She had always been so understanding and kind. Her heart had always been open to all those around her. She had been the type of person that lit up the room whenever she was around. She cooked, giving food away to others she deemed less fortunate than herself. Even when they were just barely gaining enough money to feed themselves. She had held the sweet innocence of her younger son, and the stubborn courage of the older. She had loved everyone, and there wasn't a soul she didn't believe in. She had been wonderful. But most of all, she had loved her sons. She had known just how to reassure Luigi when he was frightened. As a little boy, the darkness had scared him, as his vivid imagination often got the better of him. She would come in and sit on the side of his bed, softly telling him stories until he had forgotten all of his fears, and had fallen to sleep. With Mario, she had always been patient. She had always been aware of his need for independence, but was always there for the moments when that wall of self confidence fell.

Like now.

Luigi felt his heart twist. He blinked the emotion away. "I like the Princess too," he admitted. She did remind him of their mother. The way she had encouraged and comforted him after his and Mario's argument. She had seemed to know just what to say. And now she was gone. Swallowing nervously, Luigi lowered his gaze to his own hands. "Mario...I'm glad that you offered to help find-a her."

Mario looked up at him, surprised, eyes meeting his for the first time since they had sat down. "You...are?"

Luigi nodded. "I-If I wasn't so scared...I-I might have offered the same-a thing." He blushed in turn. "I still think-a we should."

Shocked, Mario just stared a moment, uncertain of how to respond. Of all the people he had expected to back his idea up, Luigi was the last. His younger brother had never been one to jump on board with his impulsive plans, but now, of all times, Luigi was willing. Even though Mario could tell he was frightened. The Princess must have had quite an impression on him, for her to prompt in Luigi such unusual determination. Mario blinked, shaking his head in stunned disappointment. "But we're locked in. There's-a no way for us to g-"

 _Click_

The sound was subtle. Slight. Almost unnoticeable even in a dead silence. Both brothers froze at the sound, eyes meeting in confusion, as though each expected the other to know from where the noise had come. Together, they looked up at the door at their backs, before slowly making it to their feet. Mario exchanged a final look with Luigi, before stretching out a hand to grasp the great, brass ring of the door. He held it a moment, afraid to hope, and then gave a sharp tug. With a slight creak, the great wooden portal opened, slowly. Ominously. Mario and Luigi stepped back, surprised, and a little uneasy. There was no one out in the hall, even when Mario leaned out and looked up and down its length. Someone had unlocked the door...but they were no longer in sight.

Luigi was shaking, wringing his hands nervously. "W-What do we do, Mario?"

Mario stood undecided. A chance had been given them, by someone. He had wanted to go so badly, and now here he was with a clear path. But he was hesitating. He was uncertain. But the Princess was in danger. These people needed help, and the King needed help, even if he didn't want it. The situation was calling out to Mario, and something deep within him answered.

After all, Mario had never turned away from a call for help. And he wasn't about to start now.

"Come on, Luigi. Let's-a go get the Princess."

* * *

 ***World War II- At the time period I set this story, World War II was a burden the shoulders of everyone. Rich or poor. It was a hard time. My grandmother, who is still alive today, was a little girl in London during World War II, and she remembers the bombings. Her little friend across the street was killed. She still remembers what that was like.**


End file.
